Death crash driver gets three-year ban

Lance Corporal Christopher John Bradshaw, 30, was based at RAF Digby near Scopwick Heath in Lincolnshire, but was originally from Telford.

He died in a five-vehicle crash on the A46 in Nottinghamshire in 2011.

Dean Symons from St Ann's, Nottingham, admitted causing his death by careless driving at an earlier hearing.

The 53-year-old was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday.

Symons told Nottingham Crown Court he was very sorry for the accident.

Lance Corporal Bradshaw was driving a blue Fiat Punto when it collided with a lorry which subsequently overturned in November 2011.

Two other articulated lorries and an orange Fiat Brava were also involved in the crash.

The driver of the Fiat Bravo was taken to hospital but later released, and Symons was treated in hospital for minor injuries, but no-one else was seriously hurt.

The incident happened just after 5am on November 26, 2011, at the Farndon junction of the A46, where it meets the B6166.

The road was closed for more than 24 hours as recovery took place.

Symons appeared in court in March when he admitted causing death by careless driving, and told the court he was 'very, very sorry'.

However, there was a delay in the case, which meant the sentence was not passed until yesterday.

In the original hearing, Judge Jonathan Teare apologised to the victim's family, who were in court, for having to adjourn the case. Expert reports had been required to look at what happened at the scene of the accident.

As well as being disqualified from driving, Symons was given a 12-month community order requiring him to do 260 hours of unpaid work.

A year on from the accident, his family said L/Cpl Bradshaw had been taken before his time and paid tribute to him, saying they still missed him every day and it was his love and laughter that helped them carry on.