Former police officer banned from driving for causing Telford death crash
A family has spoken of their sadness after being “robbed” of their elderly father following a crash – as the former police officer who caused the it has been banned from the road for a year.
Leonard Hawkins, 89, was airlifted to hospital after his red Ford Fiesta was struck by a Nissan, in Springhill Road, Dawley, Telford, on November 3 last year.
He died following an infection in hospital on December 12.
Michael Cull, 62, of Pool View, Horsehay, pleaded guilty to causing his death by careless or inconsiderate driving at an earlier hearing at Telford Magistrates Court.
District Judge Nigel Cadbury handed him a 12-month driving ban and ordered him to do 160 hours of unpaid work.
A statement by Mr Hawkins' son was read out to the court and spoke of a difficult grieving period following his death.
It said: “The accident has robbed my mother of her partner and me of my father.
“It has, for my mother, been a lonely and challenging time for someone only in moderate health.”
He spoke of the initial shock of the accident, his father’s time in hospital and the subsequent police investigation following his death. He said at the time his father had been working on a model steam train which the whole family was looking forward to seeing. – a project that would now not be completed.
Mr Hawkins suffered a head injury in the collision. Ambulance staff treated him at the scene before he was airlifted to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
His wife, 83, who was also in the car at the time of the accident, said her husband hadn’t had time to react to Cull’s car pulling out. Witnesses said Mr Hawkins’ brake lights hadn’t come on.
Mrs Hawkins was treated for back and chest pain after the crash and had been taken to the Princess Royal Hospital.
Mr Jamie Wade, mitigating for Cull, said that his client had suffered a “momentary lapse of concentration” when he’d approached the “difficult” junction, and that he had not seen the Ford. He said: “Mr Cull is of exemplary good character.”
But District Judge Cadbury, sentencing Cull, said he believed the defendant had not paid due care when approaching the junction.
He said: “It was a very bad lapse of concentration.” Cull, who was previously in the police and Army, must also pay £185 and an £85 victim surcharge.
The crash resulted in road closures in the area at Heath Hill Roundabout to Springhill Road, the Station Road junction to Springhill Road, Doseley Road South Junction to Springhill Road and the junction at Springhill Road to Finger Road by the traffic lights.
The defendant has admitted the offence at an earlier hearing.
