Ethan Couch Spared Jail Again Due To 'Affluenza' After Killing Four People (VIDEO)

Drink-Driving Teen Spared Jail– For Being Too Rich

For a second time, a Texas judge has sentenced Ethan Couch to 10 years' probation for a wreck that killed four people.

The teenager was spared jail due to "affluenza" - being too wealthy to realise the consequences of his actions.

Ethan Couch in juvenile court, Wednesday

The ruling in Fort Worth on Wednesday was the same previously made by the judge, despite prosecutors once more attempting to argue he should go to prison.

But instead of the 20-year prison sentence demanded, Couch has been ordered by a judge to attend a private £275,200-a-year rehabilitation centre, paid for by his parents.

The teen was driving an SUV three times over the drink-drive limit with seven friends after stealing beer from a supermarket.

While driving 70mph in a 40mph zone they struck another vehicle that had stopped by the side of the road with a flat tyre.

Its driver and three people who had come to her assistance were killed. Two of Couch's passengers were seriously injured- one can no longer move or speak.

Despite the severity of the incident, psychologist, Dr G Dick Miller, testified in court that Couch had been so indulged by his parent growing up that they never established boundaries for his behaviour.

The condition is not recognised by the American Psychiatric Association as a diagnosis.

A year previous to the accident he had been found in a parked vehicle with an unconscious and naked 14-year-old girl, an incident his parents never punished him for.

The sentence handed out by Boyd last year outraged the victims' families.

Florida psychologist Dr Gary Buffone called the verdict "laughable".

He said: "Not only haven't the parents set any consequences, but it's being reinforced by the judge's actions."

Eric Boyles, who lost his wife Hollie, 52, and daughter Shelby, 21, said money had saved the boy a prison sentence.

He said: "Ultimately today, I felt that money did prevail. If [he] had been any other youth, I feel like the circumstances would have been different."

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