This is the face of defendant Richard Clarke whose car ploughed into a taxi, leaving the driver and a devoted husband and wife injured. Sadly, Alzheimer's and vascular dementia-sufferer Kathleen Hinsley, 77, died.
She was due to travel by taxi to a day centre but sustained serious injuries and died eight days after the crash. Clarke, 37, of Bestwood Road, Hucknall, was distracted by his large dog after the hound jumped on him as he was driving along Annesley Road, Hucknall, at 9.50am on November 3, 2021.
He crashed into the stationary taxi as Mrs Hinsley's husband, Brian, helped his wife into the back seat. Clarke was jailed for 24 weeks and banned from the roads for 64 weeks, to account for his time in prison, and given a victim surcharge order for £128, when he was sentenced at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, June 23.
READ MORE: Husband's 'heart torn out' over death of wife after fatal crash
He pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention to Mr Hinsley and the taxi driver, and causing Mrs Hinsley's death after driving without due care and attention. The defendant was heard to say that his dog jumped on him and it was too late to react. He said the dog jumped from the rear of the car onto the front seat. He shouted at the dog.
He did not know why he did not stop the car and secure his dog. The dog continued to be a distraction and was reacting to something on the road. The dog then jumped onto the defendant and he crashed.
Detective Constable Chris Taylor, who led the investigation on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a tragic incident and our thoughts and sympathies reman with the victim’s family. Although no criminal sanction can bring back their beloved wife and mother, I do hope that today’s (Thursday, June 23) sentence provides them with at least some degree of closure.
“Clarke was fatally distracted because he hadn’t appropriately restrained his dog when he set off on his journey. The tragedy of this case is that it could have been avoided with the use of a simple seatbelt harness which can be bought for under £10. I only hope that what happend serves as a warning to other pet owners about the potential consequences of failing to secure their animals when they are using the road.”
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