A disabled woman who was jailed for causing the death of an elderly cyclist after she swore and violently gestured at her is now at risk of losing her home. Auriol Grey, 49 is said to live a 'lonely' life heightened by her chronic health problems and is believed to have just one friend as she is estranged from her family.
The vulnerable woman suffers from cerebral palsy which means she is partially blind and has cognitive issues, the Mirror reports. She was sentenced to three years in prison on Thursday for the manslaughter of Celia Ward, 77 who she told to 'get off the f***ing pavement' before the startled cyclist fell into the road.
The pensioner was hit by oncoming traffic and was tragically killed during the incident in October 2020 in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Grey's lawyer has now warned her client is at risk of losing her home due to her lack of income and support system.
Miranda Moore KC said Grey "has nobody to support her apart from a friend and no family support at all. She has no financial support at all other than state benefits.
"If she goes to prison today she would lose her home and has no one to store her possessions. She doesn't know what would happen to them."
The defendant had lived alone for 17 years and relied on state benefits in her adapted home in the town. Her ground-floor flat is managed by a charitable trust that enables disabled people to live independently.
Neighbours have described Grey as a 'loner' who 'never had any visitors' and said she was often bad tempered. Winston Ward, who lives opposite Grey, told MailOnline : "We have paper thin walls and sometimes I heard her having heated phone conversation with people, telling them to F*** off!
"I never knew who she was talking to but it was on the phone because she never had any visitors." Mr Ward, 60, who is confined to a wheelchair added: "She was a bit of a loner and only had one friend."
He described Grey's daily routine as consisting of going for a walk a 8am but she would always leave her front door slightly open. Another neighbour who wishes to remain anonymous said life was 'hard' for her as it is for all the roughly 20 residents in the block but 'doesn't mean you can't have a laugh'.
A source also told the MailOnline Grey 'occasionally' spoke to her mum over the phone. Her older sister Genny had died two years ago although it's understood they rarely had any contact.
During her trial at Peterborough Crown Court, Grey's one friend drove her each day. Ms Moore told Judge Sean Enright ahead of sentencing that her client has 'nobody to support her apart from a friend' and has 'no financial support' aside from benefits.
She added: "If she goes to prison today she would lose her home and has no one to store her possessions. She doesn't know what would happen to them".
The judge ruled her actions were 'not explained by disability' and handed her a three-year prison term. He added that Grey had no mental disorder or learning difficulties and that the pavement was 2.4 metres wide at the point of contact which meant it was an easily 'shared path on the ring road'.
He told Grey: "You have not expressed a word about remorse until today in the pre-sentencing notes. I accept the explanation from the counsel and that the difficulty you would face in custody and afterwards are considerable."
The defendant was described as 'childlike' in a probation report and that she 'does not pose an ongoing risk to the community'.
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