Driver with poor sight jailed for grandmother death

Richard Godfrey’s Ford Focus struck Eileen Scott as the 87-year-old was crossing Dominion Road at 6.50pm on 31 July 2014.

The 52-year-old had never taken a driving test, did not have valid insurance and could only see clearly eight metres ahead of him. The legal driving requirement is for you to be able to read a numberplate from 20 metres away.

On Tuesday (7 July) Godfrey, of Williams Way, Hurstpierpoint, pleaded guilty at Chichester Crown Court to causing death by careless driving and causing death whilst unlicensed and uninsured.

He was jailed for 14 months and banned from driving for two years.

Godfrey, who had a provisional driving licence, admitted in interview that he had seen Mrs Scott crossing the road but that he had struck her because he failed to slow down or even react to her.

Sergeant Rob Baldwin, of Sussex and Surrey roads policing unit, said: “Not only has Godfrey never passed a driving test but he also got behind the wheel of his car knowing that his vision was below the required standard.

“His unfitness to drive, along with his carelessness that day, tragically led to the death of Mrs Scott.

“His actions have left a family without a mother and grandmother for what was an avoidable tragedy. He will have to live with the consequences of what he did and no sentence will be long enough to compensate the family for their loss.

“We continue to target unlicensed, uninsured and unfit drivers to try and prevent tragic incidents such as this.”

If you suspect someone is driving illegally call 101 or report them at www.operationcrackdown.co.uk.

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