Dangerous driver caused the death of an elderly pedestrian and his dog in South Yorkshire

Sheffield Crown Court heard on November 20 how Charles Stewart, aged 30, of Lakeen Road, Intake, Doncaster, had been over the drink-drive limit and drug-drive limit for cocaine when he caused a collision with a Ford Transit van before veering into Alan Westerman and his dog.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC confirmed Stewart had been driving about 45mph in a 40mph zone when he had overtaken a vehicle on Melton Road, Sprotbrough, Doncaster, as a van lawfully pulled-out of a lefthand junction and was involved a collision with Stewart’s Land Rover which veered left and struck the 75-year-old man and his dog on the pavement.

Judge Richardson said: “He was 75 when he was killed by the dangerous driving of the defendant. The episode, as I have indicated, was captured by a cam-corder on the dashboard of a car following the defendant.

"That car had actually been overtaken by the defendant approximately a minute or so before the events with which I am concerned.”

Judge Richardson stressed Stewart had been overtaking too close to a junction while he was over the limit for alcohol and cocaine and was slightly speeding while uninsured.

Concerning Mr Westerman, Richard Thyne, prosecuting, said: “There were unsurvivable multiple injuries and death would have been almost instantaneous.”

Stewart pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous drivng after the incident on November 2, 2019, and to doing so while uninsured.

He also admitted driving over the limit for alcohol and to driving while unfit through drugs while over the limit for cocaine.

Gordon Stables, defending, said the incident had been a “brief period of dangerous driving” and Stewart had not been insured after he had moved and paperwork had gone to a former address.

Judge Richardson told Stewart: “On any analysis, you are going to prison it’s as simple as that. You killed a 75-yea-old man by reason of your very bad drivng. That warrants prison. The issue for me is how long.”

He adjourned the case until December 11 when mitigation will be considered before sentencing. Stewart was released on bail.

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