Careless South Yorkshire hit-and-run van driver is jailed after he fatally-wounded a pensioner

Sheffield Crown Court heard on May 31 how Timothy Smith, aged 39, of Cromwell Drive, at Sprotbrough, Doncaster, had been reversing a flatbed van to see what was in a skip when he struck pedestrian Margarate Hancock on Littlemoor Lane, at Balby, in Doncaster.

Prosecuting barrister Jessica Strange said CCTV shows Smith reversing the van around 9am, on March 29, 2021, as Mrs Hancock had stepped out between two parked cars and was knocked to the ground.

Ms Strange added: “It’s clear she saw the defendant reversing and she tried to hurry but what is also obvious and painfully clear is that the defendant did not check if anyone was crossing the road.”

Smith, who had a passenger, parked the van around a corner and returned briefly as Ms Hancock was with a passerby before the defendant left again and made no effort to report the incident.

The court heard former seamstress Mrs Hancock died on October 9, 2021, of a head injury caused by the collision after she had undergone treatment and surgery and had been transferred into a hospice.

The defendant told police after his arrest he had gone fishing and he did not think he had done anything wrong.

But Smith, who has two previous drink-driving convictions, later admitted causing death by careless driving, driving without a licence and without insurance, failing to stop after an accident, failing to report an accident, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Ms Strange said Smith had previously served a driving ban and his application to renew his licence was refused in 2018 due to alcohol dependency and he re-applied in March, 2020, but a decision had been delayed due to the pandemic.

Richard Barrradell, defending, said Smith had seen something in a skip to possibly recycle and he reversed but he had not given himself time to check.

Mr Barradell argued that an expert stated there were two “causations” to the collision including the reversing manoeuvre and Mrs Hancock’s decision to cross the road heedless to the danger of vehicles.

He added: “It’s fair comment that on this day the defendant’s behaviour after this collision was terrible. He is ashamed and embarrassed.

"He should have stopped and he should have helped.”

Mr Barradell said: “He is beside himself with what he has done. He is struggling to hold himself together. He is genuinely remorseful.”

Mrs Hancock’s son described her as an amazing, loving mother and grandmother who empowered those around her to complete their dreams.

Judge Peter Kelson QC said: “She was a 76-year-old lovely lady and it was to be hoped with many years ahead of her.

"She was in good health and she was a loving person and, of course, she is desperately missed.”

He told Smith if he had been keeping proper care and attention he would have seen Mrs Hancock before the collision happened.

Judge Kelson also told the defendant: “The first causation of this dreadful case of Margaret Hancock was the fact you were behind the wheel at all.”

He sentenced Smith to 15 months of custody and banned him from driving for three years and seven-and-a-half months.