A judge ruled that a prison sentence was not necessary in the case of a woman who caused the death of a teenage motorcyclist by driving her pick up truck carelessly last year.

Shirley Haynes, 55, of Gloucestershire, whose family run a furniture shop in Ross-on-Wye, was at the wheel of her Toyota Hi-Lux on the A417 Gloucester-Ledbury road when she hit 19-year-old Joseph Whitestone in March last year.

Gloucester crown court heard on Tuesday, August 13th that she sat holding his hand and trying to comfort him while paramedics tried to save his life at the scene of the collision in Corse.

Judge Ian Lawrie QC sentenced Mrs Haynes to a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work. He banned her from driving for one year.

He also ordered her to pay £1,000 towards prosecution’s costs and an £85 victim surcharge.Timothy Pole, defending, said: “This offence can only be classified as a tragedy for all concerned. “The collision can properly be described as human error.

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