Grieving relatives’ anger at sentence

The family of a teacher who was knocked down and killed on a country road today branded a judge’s decision not to jail the drink-driver responsible ‘an absolute disgrace’.

Mother-of-two Brenda Wilson, 62, died in hospital an hour after being hit by Francine Austin’s Audi convertible as she walked a dog with her friend along the A458 Bridgnorth Road in Stourton.

Austin, of Heathton, Claverley, near Bridgnorth, was given a hospital order by Judge John Maxwell at Stafford Crown Court yesterday.

The judge said Austin, who has suffered depression, faced up to three years in jail – but psychiatric reports recommended she stay in a psychiatric hospital.

Austin, 54, will be detained under the mental health act until she is deemed well enough to be released.

Mrs Wilson’s son Edward Davies said: “This is an absolute disgrace. There were submissions from two psychiatrists saying she shouldn’t go to prison but we dispute what they’re saying. I think she should serve the full prison sentence after the doctors let her out but she’ll probably only do a year in the hospital.”

Laura Davies said her mother was ‘an inspirational and amazing person’.

The court heard scientists estimated Austin had about 54 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, in a range between 41 and 71 microgrammes, when the crash happened at about 10.30am on August 4. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Austin told police she had drunk four glasses of wine the night before and went to bed at 10pm.

In a police interview Austin, who pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and drink driving, said she had ‘lost concentration’ and felt drowsy from medication she was taking.

Mr Andrew Fisher, defending, told the court: “This lady is an otherwise decent citizen. She is ill and has plainly expressed her remorse.”

Mrs Wilson, of Meddins Lane, Kinver, was a former headteacher at St Anne’s Middle School in Bewdley and was working at King Charles I School in Kidderminster before her death.