A teacher wept in court as she was sentenced for causing the death by careless driving of a mum after she looked away from the road for a "couple of seconds". Distraught Emma Parkes wiped away tears with a tissue during sentencing at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Friday (March 3) over the death of 73-year-old Yvonne Roberts - whose son described her in a statement as "an extremely giving person".
Prosecutor Nicole Baughan began by saying, "this is a case in which momentary lapse of concentration and split second decision has had tragic consequences". Parkes was travelling at about 50mph along single-carriageway Budby Road, Cuckney, Newark, on April 16 last year. She approached a stationary car waiting to turn left.
But she did not see this vehicle "until it was too late," added Miss Baughan. Parkes's partner alerted her to this vehicle and she took immediate evasive action, pulling out into the right hand lane, where Ms Roberts, a voluntary carer, was travelling in the opposite direction.
Coventry-born Ms Roberts, of Sheffield, lost her life, and Parkes was seriously injured, and has "life-changing injuries" and is suffering from "deep-seated emotional trauma", the court heard. The 25-year-old, of Cherry Tree Close, North Hykeham, Lincoln, remembers very little about the accident, said her lawyer, Sarah Green.
"Sadly, those two to three seconds looking away was all it took for the tragic consequences we are dealing with today"
She has been driving for five years and, throughout that time, had been a careful and considerate driver. The accident report revealed it must have been caused when she was looking away from the road for a couple of seconds.
"Sadly, those two to three seconds looking away was all it took for the tragic consequences we are dealing with today," said Miss Green.
District Judge Gillian Young gave Parkes a 12-month community order, with 120 hours of unpaid work, a £95 victim surcharge, £85 costs, and a driving ban for 18 months. And she told Parkes: "You are before the court for a grave and catastrophic mistake".
She took into account Parkes is a teacher and very well thought of by her employer and family members. She has a caring nature, and: "I know you are very remorseful and having counselling yourself," added Judge Young.
More was heard about Ms Roberts's life in statements from her only son, who joined the hearing over a telelvision link from his home in Somerset, where he has lived since 2008. He continues to replay the accident in his mind and had to formally identify her in the mortuary.
Ms Roberts was one of four girls who grew up in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, in Scotland. She left the family home in 1969 and married her first husband and moved to Sheffield.
Her son, a qualified counsellor with his wife, saw his dad 20 years ago - but he has never had a relationship with him, the court heard. His mum remarried and was a resident of Sheffield, but she separated from her second husband and divorced.
After her son left home at 18, he went to university, then lived in Somerset, so he only saw his mum occasionally, and they had their ups and downs, but she "loved me very much," he said. A secretary who took her financial examainations to be a financial advisor, his mum later set up an introduction agency.
"It felt real for the first time"
She retired when she was 60, remaining in Sheffield. She was driving to someone's house on the day of the accident. When she did not arrive, police were alerted and located her son.
He saw his mum at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, and "it felt real for the first time". He described her as an "extremely giving person. She was caring and did so much for others".
Read next:
Woman died at scene of crash in Nottinghamshire after driver 'did not see' car in front
16-year-old knocked man unconscious in defence of autistic boy under attack
First image of Harvey Borrington, 3, who was killed by his stepmother
'Selfish' gang of graffiti vandals branded 'idiots' after defacing trains
Cannabis user for 30 years handed harsher penalty after repeated fines
