Lorry driver jailed for killing dad-of-two in head-on crash
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The scene of the crash in
Snave, Romney Marsh. Picture: Peter Stretton, Kent Skywatch
Civil Air Patrol.
by Paul Hooper
A lorry driver who killed an Ashford
dad-of-two in a head-on crash has told a court: "I am sorry beyond
words... and I will die sorry."
Clifford Sparks, 52, wept as a judge
heard he had been speeding along the A2070, at Snave, on Romney
Marsh, in March 2010.
When a lorry he was following too
closely braked hard, Mr Sparks swerved into the path of an oncoming
car - driven by father-of-two Spencer Williams, 42, from
Ashford.
Mr Williams, whose widow was in court
for the hearing, died from his injuries.
Sparks, of Vickers Lane, Dartford,
initially denied causing death by driving carelessly - but changed
his plea after being cross-examined during his trial last
November.
The offence carries a maximum
five-year jail sentence - but Judge Simon James heard Sparks was
carrying "a burden which is almost unbearable" and the death has
had "a crushing effect" on him.
He has now been jailed for
18 months and banned from driving for two years.
Christopher May, prosecuting, told
Canterbury Crown Court Sparks had been following an articulated
lorry along the road from Brenzett to Ashford, which has a 40mph
restriction for lorries.
He said the driver of the first lorry
was heading for a farm and missed his first turning - and braked
hard.
The court heard Sparks was too close
and swerved to avoid hitting the lorry and into the path of Mr
Williams' oncoming Renault.
"Mr Williams had been driving in a
perfectly ordinary manner, within the speed limit, and had done
nothing wrong," said Mr May.
"You are a decent and responsible person who has suffered considerable punishment - and will regret it for the rest of his life…” – Judge Simon James
Luke Blackburn, defending, said it was
only after Sparks had been cross-examined during his trial did "it
dawn on him that he must have been driving too close".
He added: "He has shown an exceptional
level of remorse and anger at himself.
"He just could not at first bring
himself to deal with what he has done - he just couldn't bring
himself to see it.
"He is a decent and honest man and is
well regarded by his family, friends and work colleagues.
"He has shown quite exceptional
remorse - not just today, for the rest of his life. He is sorry
beyond words and he will die sorry."
The judge said the Williams family had
"lost its heart" and no sentence he could impose "could be
considered adequate for such a loss".
Judge James said he accepted Sparks'
remorse was genuine and he had suffered from post-traumatic stress
disorder and depression after the fatal crash.
He sad: "You are a decent and
responsible person who has suffered considerable punishment - and
will regret it for the rest of his life.
"But that is a luxury that will never
be afforded Mr Williams and his innocent family who has now lost
its heart."
A driver of another lorry was
acquitted at another trial of causing death by careless
driving.
Tuesday, February 28 2012
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