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Chatham grandmother Virginia Pereira walks free over motorcyclist Michael Sharp's death on Blue Bell Hill

Driver Virginia Pereira caused the death of biker Michael Sharp
Driver Virginia Pereira caused the death of biker Michael Sharp

A grandmother who caused the death of a motorcyclist in what a judge called "a few seconds of absolute madness" has walked free from court.

Virginia Pereira, 62, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment - suspended for two years - over Michael Sharp's death.

She was banned from driving for three years, will only have her licence returned if she passes another test and will have to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

The mother-of-four drove out of a junction into the path of Mr Sharp's 1000cc Honda motorbike on the A229 at Blue Bell Hill near the Lower Bell pub.

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC told Pereira, of Portland Street, Chatham: "This offence involved a breathtaking failure on your part to adhere to the rules of the road, reinforced by the clearest of signs at the junction, and to appreciate the danger which ought to have been very apparent to you.

"On the other hand, I must recognise your failure was fleeting, tragic though it was."

Tragic motorcyclist Michael Sharp died in a crash at Blue Bell Hill
Tragic motorcyclist Michael Sharp died in a crash at Blue Bell Hill

Pereira originally denied causing death by dangerous driving and an alternative of causing death by careless driving.

A retrial was ordered after a jury failed to reach a verdict in January. But the prosecution accepted her guilty plea to the lesser charge on April 17.

Pereira continued to deny she drove over the junction without stopping, as alleged by the prosecution.

Maidstone Crown Court heard she had left Maidstone on the morning of July 28, 2011 in her Vauxhall Corsa with her daughter and was driving slowly along Chatham Road and reached the junction.

Motorcyclist Michael Sharp just after his marriage to Ziona
Motorcyclist Michael Sharp just after his marriage to Ziona

Mr Sharp, who was 57, had left his Chatham home to go to Aylesford to pay in a cheque at his bank. His wife Ziona had left him a "love note" when she went to work.

He was travelling on Rochester Road when he was hit by the car and catapulted into the air. He struck a traffic island and died from multiple injuries.

Prosecutor Martin Yale said Pereira completely failed to heed stop signs clearly positioned at the junction and a solid white line across the road, as well as "Stop" painted on the road.

The spot were motoryclist Michael Sharp was killed on Blue Bell Hill
The spot were motoryclist Michael Sharp was killed on Blue Bell Hill

Pereira, who had a the aid of a Portuguese interpreter, wept as the judge told her: "The emergence of your car into his path without warning gave him no chance of avoiding a collision.

"This was a motorcyclist's worst nightmare."

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