A drug-driver left a woman with serious injuries after crashing into her as she walked across a pedestrian crossing. Christine Booth waited for the green man as she walked across Sardis Road in Pontypridd when she was struck by Cheryl Jones.
A sentencing held at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday heard how Jones, of Glyn View, Tonyrefail, had taken cocaine and amphetamines before the incident happened on November 9, 2022, at around 9pm. Alice Sykes, prosecuting, told the court how Ms Booth knew there was no way to avoid getting hit by Jones’ Astra when she saw it approach her.
Jones, who was already disqualified from driving at the time of the incident, ran a red light but said she did not see Ms Booth as she was wearing dark clothing. She believed the drugs would have an “alerting” effect on her and would not interfere with her driving, the court heard.
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Ms Sykes said: “Ms Jones approached the traffic lights just as a green man illuminated [before she] began to cross the road. As she made her way across the road she noticed an Astra vehicle coming closer to her knowing she could do nothing to avoid a collision. She remembers nothing until she woke up on the floor.”
The court heard how Ms Booth fell from the roof of 57-year-old Jones’ car and landed head-first on the floor. Jones was said to have stayed at the scene before being escorted to the police station by officers for a blood test while Ms Booth was taken to hospital via ambulance.
It was discovered that Jones had 800mcg of amphetamine in her system as well as 33mcg of cocaine at the time of the crash. She said she believed the concoction would make her feel alert and therefore would not affect her ability to drive.
Ms Booth sustained painful ligament injuries to her hand as well as a fractured knee. In a victim impact statement Ms Booth – previously an avid walker – described how she now lives in fear of something bad happening and can’t do the activities she once loved. She said her brain function is now slower meaning she stutters and has to read sentences more than once to understand them. She added: “It opens up something in your head and makes you concerned about things you may have never thought about before.”
Jones admitted charges of causing serious injury while driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, and three counts of drug-driving. Ed Mitchard, mitigating, asked the judge to take into account his client's guilty pleas, which she entered at the earliest opportunity. He said Jones’ mental health was currently poor after she found her husband dead shortly after she entered her plea. He said she had a crack cocaine addiction which started after she found her brother dead two years ago.
He said Jones, who is now blind in one eye, never intends to drive again. He added: “My client is regretful for this incident and offers apologies to Ms Booth and accepts full responsibility.”
The court heard how Jones has a significant criminal history including drug convictions in 1996, 2012, 2016, and 2017 as well as being disqualified from driving in 2021 for 16 months. Mr Mitchard said despite this she has never breached her previous criminal convictions.
Sentencing, Recorder Duncan Bould addressed Jones and said: “You didn’t see [Ms Booth] because she was wearing dark clothes. However that red light should have stopped you. You didn’t see it because you were intoxicated… It is good fortune that you did not kill her.” He said he had no faith that Jones could be rehabilitated as she had expressed an enjoyment for the substances and admitted she was still using them.
He jailed Jones for 10 months and issued her a driving disqualification for five years and five months. Jones was also ordered to pay a £180 surcharge. She will serve at least half her sentence in prison before being released on licence.
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