30-year-old Paul Brown, of Witney, has been sentenced to 240 hours unpaid work and disqualified from driving for 12 months after killing a cyclist whilst eating a sandwich at the wheel.
The victim, Joseph Wilkins, an off-duty fireman, was struck and killed by Mr Brown’s vehicle after he had become distracted whilst eating a sandwich.
The incident took place on a country road in close proximity to Abingdon in May 2012. Mr Brown, a lock keeper, admitted to the charge, but was cleared of causing death by ‘dangerous’ driving, which carries a much sterner sentence, following a trial at Oxford Crown Court.
Joseph Wilkins, a father-of two, was hit by Wilkins’ car from behind at around 9pm and died as result of his injuries.
The court heard that Brown had been eating a sandwich 5-10 seconds prior to the collision. He also claimed that his eyes were fixed on the road however; Mr Wilkins was understood to be without lights or reflectors.
In a statement from the victim’s partner, Nicci Saunders, which was read out in court, she said: “Some days I find it hard to breathe with the pain that is in my heart. It feels like I have a huge weight on my chest and an emptiness that can’t be filled.â€
Nicci and Joseph had been together for seven years and had two young children together, aged two and five.
Her statement added: “Both of them now worry that if I go away, I will also leave them one day.â€
As the trial drew to a close, Mr Brown demonstrated extreme remorse over the incident. In a statement, read-out on his behalf, he said: “I am deeply remorseful for the tragic event and I feel such empathy towards the victim and his family.â€
Upon conclusion of the trial a statement was released by Thames Valley Police, issued by Sergeant Jack Hawkins, who was in charge of the investigation. He said: “The jury, in this case, decided that the facts amounted to careless driving as opposed to dangerous. What I would do of course is urge all drivers to think about their driving and their actions behind the wheel so that this kind of thing doesn’t happen.â€
He added: “Fatal collisions are very often avoidable and this case was no different at all.â€
What’s your view on accidents on Britain’s roads? Are they on the increase? Is enough being done to prevent accidents on the road? Are sentences handed out for dangerous driving too lenient, or too harsh?
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