Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury van driver found guilty of causing road death

A Shrewsbury delivery driver has been convicted of causing death by careless driving.

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Robert Malcolm Jones was yesterday found guilty of causing the death of Kenneth Gordon Brereton, 69, on February 6 last year.

The 48-year-old, of New Park Road in Shrewsbury, was cleared of the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Jones had showed "genuine remorse" and said he wished to express sincere apologies to all who had been affected by the tragedy, said Mr Justice Openshaw, sitting at Mold Crown Court.

He placed Jones on a 12-month community order under which he must carry out 200 hours unpaid work. He was also banned from driving for 18 months.

Former farmer Mr Brereton, of Rossett Hall Farm at Rossett, had been driving with his wife to tidy her mother's garden following her death two days previously.

But their vehicle's clutch failed on the Llan-y-pwll link road and the vehicle stopped with its hazard lights on.

Jones was driving his employer's box van from Buckley to Shropshire when he turned on to the link road. He hit the Breretons' vehicle from behind, causing it to flip over and land on its roof on the verge.

Mr Brereton suffered serious head injuries from which he later died and Mrs Brereton sustained injuries from which she is still suffering.

The judge said her injuries were an aggravating feature of the case.

Judge Openshaw said Jones had never claimed that he braked.

"He has always said that he simply did not see the Land Rover. He attributes that to the sun shining very low ahead of him," the judge said.

"The only distraction here was the bright sunshine.

"The van speed was 46 or 47 mph which was not in any way excessive and the defendant had plenty of time to see the Land Rover – some 10 seconds over 240 yards.

"He was at fault, as the jury has found, but only for a few seconds," he said.

Family Liaison officer Pc Arwyn Phillips, of North Wales Police, read a statement on behalf of the Brereton family after the hearing.

"On behalf of the Brereton family, they would like to say that they pleased to see that justice has been served today," he said.

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