Grieving daughter hits out because speeding driver who killed her parents will get out of jail early under Labour release scheme

The daughter of a couple killed by a speeding driver while walking their dog in Kent has condemned plans to free their killer after he served just half his sentence under Labour's early release scheme. Thomas, 61, and Susan Corkery, 68, were taking their friend's dog for a walk when Scott Gunn struck them down, killing all three on January 20, 2024. The couple were thrown into a hedge on impact and died from their injuries on the roadside, alongside the dog. The driver, 38, reached speeds of 87mph in his new BMW X5 only seconds before hitting the couple on Thurnham Lane, Bearsted, near Maidstone.Gunn was found guilty of death by dangerous driving and handed a sentence of 16 years at Maidstone Crown Court in November 2025. The judge noted a lack of remorse when sentencing the killer. Gunn now joins thousands of criminals set to be freed early under the Government's prison release scheme, with offenders due to start walking free from October. The couple's grieving daughter Claire Corkery has since hit out against his early release, saying: 'There's no early release for the life term I'm serving.'The condemnation comes after the birth of Ms Corkery's son, who she was pregnant with during Gunn's trial. He would have been her parents' first grandchild. Claire Corkery pictured with her parents Thomas and Susan Corkery, who were killed by a speeding driver Scott Gunn was found guilty of death by dangerous driving and handed a sentence of 16 years at Maidstone Crown Court in November 2025'Knowing the man that robbed my parents of the happy retirement they deserved will be rewarded with early release makes me feel sick. Justice was served but now looks to be snatched away,' the road safety campaigner told The Telegraph. 'My parents, who were my moral compass, my safety net, and the only people to love me unconditionally, are gone.'It is understood Mr Corkery, who was an accountant, was two weeks away from retirement, while his wife, a former nurse, had fully recovered from thyroid cancer.The couple are believed to have been looking forward to a planned holiday and attending their son's wedding, as well as welcoming their first grandchild. Gunn, who was ordered to serve a minimum sentence of 10 years and eight months, is eligible to be freed more than two and a half years earlier than his sentence decreed.He had been driving at a speed of 87mph on a 60mph-limit road shortly before the crash – and denied causing death by dangerous driving. His trial was described as 'completely dehumanising' by Ms Corkery's family after a lack of remorse was shown by Gunn. 'I feel like we could as a family have come to terms with it if he had really acknowledged the pain and loss we had experienced,' Ms Corkery said. 'It's letting people out early that haven't expressed any remorse or taken accountability for what they have done. It feels so wrong.'It is understood Gunn is seeking to appeal his sentence. Ms Corkery urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to include those who are sentenced for death by dangerous driving in the growing list of convictions exempted under the scheme. This includes around 1,000 rapists, child sex abusers and groomers.Ms Corkery said Gunn's early release would show there are 'no consequences' for dangerous drivers and that sentences could be changed. Her plea joins that of Pc Andrew Harper's family, who was killed in the line of duty after he was dragged to his death behind the gang's getaway car in August 2019.Under the early release scheme's current rules, his killers Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole would be released next year, just halfway through their 13-year sentences. The driver Henry Long, who was sent to prison for 16 years, is not eligible for early release. It is thought that Bowers and Cole will be blocked through a law change which will exempt those convicted of 'unlawful act' manslaughter – where a person causes death while committing an illegal act – from being released early. The Daily Mail contacted the Ministry of Justice for comment.