Teresa Ryan is campaigning for a change in bail law after her son's killer, Rashad Ali, fled to Pakistan before standing trial. Ali was convicted in his absence at the Old Bailey of causing death by dangerous driving and sentenced to five years in prison. He had left the UK because he retained his passport.
Campaign Launch
The campaign, launched by Jack's sister Ciara, demands that defendants facing serious offences be forced to surrender their passports if granted bail. The petition has gathered 1,800 signatures.
Jack Ryan, 29, an Aston Villa fan and marketing executive from Sutton Coldfield, was hit by Ali's Range Rover while jogging near Battersea Bridge, west London, on January 13, 2021. Ali was driving at nearly double the 20mph speed limit. Jack was due to become a father.
Family's Grief
Teresa Ryan said her family "would have been able to move on" had justice been served. She stated: "I would have been happy if he had served his sentence. We've said all along that Ali didn't go out that morning to deliberately kill Jack. He made a couple of very bad choices in his driving which caused the accident. If he stood in court, acknowledged his mistakes, and taken the sentence, that would have been almost acceptable for us."
She added: "We would have been able to move on if he had taken his sentence. Because that hasn't happened, you just think this is so unfair that he is living a life. We think Mr Ali married in Pakistan and is making a new life for himself. We have no faith he will ever return to this country, voluntarily."
Call for Law Change
Teresa said a change in law would bring "some sort of message from Jack that something good has come out of this". She said: "The bail law is fundamentally flawed. People need to be aware that, just because someone is meant to appear in court, it doesn't mean they will. People should not be able to go to another country and walk away from their responsibilities. The law would bring me some sort of message from Jack that something good has come out of this which will help other people."
She concluded: "It's an empty situation when you go to court and you know the person isn't going to pay the price because he's not there. I wouldn't want anyone to go through this."
