Careless driver given suspended sentence after death of retired teacher

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Careless driver given suspended sentence after death of retired teacher

Postby dutchman » Thu Aug 29, 2019 5:43 pm

Samantha Kutty was given a two year suspended prison sentence

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A DENTIST killed a popular retired schoolteacher when she cut a corner in her Mercedes on her way to work at her Leamington practice and knocked her down as she was crossing the road.

Although Samantha Kutty was doing no more than 10mph at the time, 68-year-old Marlene Head was thrown onto the bonnet of the car before hitting her head as she landed on the road.

Mrs Head’s husband of 45 years, Tom, dashed to the scene and accompanied her to hospital where she died without regaining consciousness, a judge at Warwick Crown Court has heard.

The tragic collision happened at the entrance of Camberwell Terrace, where Kutty intended to park as she turned up for work at nearby Leamington Dental Practice in Radford Road, on September 27 last year.

The 42-year-old of Maidavale Crescent, Styvechale, Coventry, was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison suspended for two years after pleading guilty to causing Mrs Head’s death by careless driving.

She was also ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work, was banned from driving for three years, after which she will have to take an extended test, and was ordered to pay £550 costs.

Sentencing Kutty, Judge Buckingham said of Mr Head: “The shock of losing his wife of 45 years has been devastating. It has left a massive void in his life. Whatever sentence I pass will not ease his pain.”

She told Kutty: “Having caused the loss of Mrs Head’s life, it has also had an effect on you, and you have been struggling to come to terms with your actions.

“But the fact remains that as a result of your careless manoeuvre she was thrown onto your bonnet and into the road and suffered catastrophic injuries and died.”

Judge Buckingham said she accepted Kutty’s remorse was genuine, and quoted from her letter in which Kutty said: “I know I cannot take away the pain, but from the depth of my heart I think about Mrs Head and her family every day with the deepest sympathy.”

And the judge added: “There is no doubt your offending is so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified, but there are factors which justify the suspending of that sentence.”

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