Driving instructor on way to teach speed awareness course caused death of pensioner on A483

Anita Corless, 58, had no memory of the manoeuvre and could not explain why she overtook with such catastrophic consequences, a court heard.

Housekeeper Rita Wharton, 83, from Welshpool, who was still working and said to be living life like a woman in her 50s, was killed instantly inside the wreckage of her Ford Ka following the multiple vehicle crash on the A483 between Welshpool and Pool Quay, on March 25.

Corless, of Milford Haven Marina in South Wales, but at the time living at Bentham in north Yorkshire - admitted death by dangerous driving and was jailed for 16 months at Mold Crown Court yesterday.

She was banned from driving for two years and eight months and must sit an extended driving test.

The court heard how she was in a line of traffic on a straight stretch of road but inexplicably pulled out.

There was insufficient room and she caused a five vehicle crash – and Mrs Wharton's car, the second in line, was struck by two vehicles and the body panels from the driver's side were peeled back in the impacts.

Mrs Wharton, a widow who was said to be the linchpin of the family and a rock to many, was declared dead at the scene, said prosecutor David Mainstone.

Corless was severely injured herself and could not remember anything of the collision.

Judge Niclas Parry said that no sentence could reflect the tragic loss of life but said it was intended to reflect the defendant's culpability as the cause of the fatality.

"You quite inexplicably drove your vehicle into the face of on-coming traffic in an overtaking manoeuvre that was obviously dangerous," he told her.

The judge said if her immediate view was limited due to the vehicle ahead, all she had to do was pull over to the centre of her carriageway which would have allowed a good long view along the road ahead.

"You are by profession a driving instructor, employed by Lancashire County Council to run speed awareness courses," he said.

He said she would have been completely aware of the requirement to assess the suitability of locations before starting to overtake.

Judge Parry said he accepted she had little recollection, and was herself seriously injured.

That day she either did not see the oncoming traffic or she misjudged the speed and distance of the vehicles ahead.

"On coming vehicles should have been visible to a careful driver," he said.

The driver behind had seen the on-coming vehicles and later told police that even a Fireblade motorcycle would not have made it, the court was told.

The judge said her remorse was genuine and she had indicated her guilty plea in the magistrates' court which was unusual in such cases.

He said there was no evidence to suggest that she was driving at anything other than a reasonable speed but her driving caused a significant risk of danger.

He said she was a woman of good character with a near blemish free driving record.

But it was, he said, a thoroughly avoidable fatality "which must be marked by a custodial sentence".

Darren Halsted, defending, said that it had been a catastrophic misjudgement.

He said Corless was full of remorse and felt the grieving family's distress.

She herself had lost her own grandmother in the same circumstances and that still haunted her, he said.

She had "racked her brains" over what had happened but "she knows not", he added.

The court heard that driving had been an enormous part of her life, she drove "a huge mileage" and it was 29 years since she had a speeding conviction.

Mrs Wharton's daughter Diane Dunderdale told in a victim impact statement how her mother was fit and healthy.

"My mother was my best friend and my rock," she said.

Son Mark Wharton told how he had been in the armed forces and did two tours of Afghanistan but the impact of the death of his mother was more than anything caused by his service overseas.

He said she was fit, healthy and independent and they all expected her to live a long time.