Banned woman driver jailed after head-on crash (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Banned woman driver jailed after head-on crash

8:11am Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News

A 53-year-old woman who was banned from the road has been jailed for driving dangerously and crashing head on into another car.

Gwendoline Day drove a Honda Civic erratically from Stourport to Hartlebury, pulled up, clipped the side of a car and then drove off at speed, crashing into another car and injuring the 70-year-old woman driver.

Day was in breach of two suspended sentences for previous driving offences, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Mary Wallace, prosecuting, told the court that Day was seen driving slowly along Hartlebury Road in Stourport at about 7.30pm on October 3 last year. She swerved and mounted the kerb, crossed over the centre lines as she took a left-hand turn and nearly crashed into another vehicle.

A driver following her called the police and then saw her turn into the entrance to Hartlebury Castle, where she stopped. He pulled up to prevent her leaving but she did a 360-degree turn, clipped the bumper of his car, stalled, drove off again and scraped the side of his car before driving off into Rectory Lane, Hartlebury, her home address.

Miss Wallace said she then pulled into the nearby school entrance and as the police arrived, she drove away at speed across a junction and made a sudden left turn before crashing into an oncoming car.

The driver's airbag was activated and the 70-year-old woman driver suffered bruising and soreness and was taken to hospital by ambulance. Day had to be cut out of her car and was also treated in hospital.

Miss Wallace said Day told police she had taken five or six anti-depressant tablets but had not drunk alcohol. She refused to give a specimen of breath. She had a long record of motoring convictions, including previous dangerous driving offences.

Samantha Powis, defending, said Day, who now goes by her maiden name of Hughes, had not troubled the courts until the age of 42. She then got involved in a physically abusive relationship and started drinking to escape her problems. A mother-of-two, she now had the opportunity to move to Somerset to be nearer her daughter and grandchildren and was making progress to tackle her drinking after spending five months in custody on remand.

"The deterrent element of custody is probably over for her after five months," Miss Powis said. "There must be a hope that a door can be unlocked to prevent her offending again."

Judge Michael Cullum said Day had a "dreadful track record" of driving offences. He said she had become alcohol dependant and he believed she had drunk some alcohol on the day of the latest offences which, along with the tablets, had affected her and caused her to drive in an erratic manner.

"You chose to drive even though you were not allowed to," he told her. "You drove appallingly and there was a serious accident."

He gave Day, who pleaded guilty, 12 months for dangerous driving with three months concurrent for driving while disqualified. He also activated both suspended sentences with an extra 16 weeks for each one, making a total of 20 months. The five months she has spent in custody will be deducted.

She was also banned from driving for three years and will have to take an extensive re-test.