A FATHER has spoken of his family's grief at facing their third year "waiting for justice" for their son who died in a crash involving a drink-driving Exmouth Royal Marine on the outskirts of Exeter.
Ray and Sue Davidson-Hackett and their daughter Becky, from Wonford, have been waiting for the court case into Steven's death since he died on June 23, 2012.
They have described the wait as "excruciating and unkind".
And they still have no idea when the court case will be concluded and when they may be able to find "closure" from their traumatic ordeal.
Steven, 20, was driving home from a shift at the nearby Exe Vale Tesco superstore on his moped when a crash occurred on a sharp bend of Ludwell Lane, with a Ford Transit van.
The driver of the van, Jack Taylor, 27, from Exmouth, a Royal Marine with 42 Commando based at Bickleigh Barracks near Plymouth, appeared in court charged with offences relating to his death, which he denies.
He appeared in the dock alongside David Marriott, 26, also from Exmouth, who faces related aiding and abetting charges, which he denies.
In March 2013, Taylor pleaded guilty to drink-driving, not guilty to taking the Transit van without the owner's consent, and not guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, that he took the van without the owner's consent during which time an accident occurred and the death of Steven was caused.
Taylor also pleaded not guilty to the charge of dangerous driving, which was subsequently dropped.
Both Taylor and Marriott were released on unconditional bail. Taylor was given an interim driving ban but this has since been lifted.
A trial date was set for September 2013 – 15 months after the death – but was postponed until January 2014.
Then after legal argument regarding the charges over three days, the case was adjourned indefinitely while the prosecution seeks clarification on a matter which cannot be reported for legal reasons.
Now, two and a half years and three Christmases on, the family's ordeal is continuing.
"We'll never stop loving him, and we'll never stop missing him, and whatever happens we can't bring Steven back," said Ray.
"We don't celebrate Christmas anymore, there's an emptiness in the house. It's not Christmas without Steven.
"Our Christmas wish is always to see an end to this. Losing Steven was the most disastrous, most horrible thing that could ever happen to us," continued the 52-year-old.
"It was hard enough not to be about to bury him for 11 weeks, and we knew the court case would take time, but we didn't expect to still be waiting to finish grieving almost three years on. It's got to the stage that the actual sentence is less important now than the court case procedure."
Ray explained that the family had "no idea" when the case could be brought back to Exeter Crown Court.
And until the court case is completed, an inquest into Steven's death cannot proceed either.
"I don't think grieving for Steven will ever end," he continued. "But we can't move on and nothing can be finalised in our hearts or minds until this final step is out the way and that is to have the day in court."
He added: "We understand the way the courts have to proceed but it has become a ridiculous timescale.
"We don't even know when it's going to conclude. We could be here waiting this time next year, we just don't know.
"We know no more than when we left court almost a year ago last January.
"Steven's friends ask what's happening, and we have to say the same thing again and again. No one can believe it's taking this long. Becky says there's a piece of the jigsaw missing from our lives, that piece being Steven."
