Woman avoids jail after causing death of pensioner in crash

Judge Jonathan Rose was keen to grant the wish of those close to Barbara Slingsby that jail time for 22-year-old Amber Hall would benefit no-one.

Hall, of Norman Crescent in Idle, hit pedestrian Mrs Slingsby, 83, when reversing her Volkswagen Polo into the junction of Westfield Lane and Cockshott Lane on the morning of July 31, 2022.

Mrs Slingsby, an avid church-goer, sadly died in Leeds General Infirmary the following day through serious chest injuries.

A family statement read by the judge at the Bradford Crown Court hearing said: "We believe no-one would benefit from Amber receiving a custodial sentence."

It added: "Living with the lifelong consequences will be more difficult than a sentence."

It also said benefitting local groups would be a "fitting tribute to Barbara" - who would agree with the sentiment.

Judge Rose said the statement "speaks volumes" of Mrs Slingsby's family and friends and that he had the intention to do what he had been asked.

The court heard how Mrs Slingsby was a "confident, able lady until her tragic death".

The prosecution outlined how the victim, a woman devoted to her religion, was walking home from church that morning.

She had stopped at the curb next to the junction and discounted Hall's vehicle as a hazard because it was stationary at the time, the court heard.

Hall proceeded to complete an "unsafe manoeuvre" and reverse into the junction, colliding with Mrs Slingsby.

Judge Rose laid no blame towards Mrs Slingsby saying she was "not the author of her own misfortune" as it was safe to cross.

Dashboard footage from the vehicle heard an upset Hall say: "What the f*** have I just run into?"

The court heard that Hall initially thought she had "hit a rock or wall, not a person".

Once she realised what had happened, she rang for an ambulance.

Hall told a woman walking her dog, who checked for Mrs Slingsby's pulse, that she was "really sorry" and she "didn't mean to hit her".

Mrs Slingsby opened her eyes and gave the woman her name before losing consciousness.

Once in hospital, it was revealed she had suffered multiple rib fractures and catastrophic chest injuries.

She was sadly pronounced dead at 5.48pm on August 1, 2022.

In her police interview on the same day of the collision, Hall said she always checked her mirrors and did not see the victim.

A police collision report highlighted how if Hall had looked through her rearview window, Mrs Slingsby would have been visible.

Judge Rose could also not accept that Hall checked fully what was behind her.

The court heard how Mrs Slingsby was "Bradford born, bred, and educated", and worked in the Foreign Exchange department at Yorkshire Bank.

Mrs Slingsby's brother Raymond said that his sister was "committed to helping other people" and is "missed greatly by the family".

She married her husband Herbert Slingsby, whom she cared for later in his life, in 1987 and mothered two children, becoming a grandmother of four later in her life.

The court heard how Herbert had not come to terms with his wife's death when he passed away on April 10, of last year. 

Judge Rose outlined how Hall had just past her driving test 10 months previous to the incident in September 2021.

Her defence highlighted that she is of good character, has no previous convictions, and has dreams of becoming a vet.

Judge Rose said Hall did not leave the scene when others her age might have been tempted to.

He also added that she is "here to face the music" and pleaded guilty at her first opportunity to causing death by careless/inconsiderate driving when she appeared at Bradford Magistrates' Court last November.

The judge ordered that over the next two years, Hall must complete 200 hours of unpaid work - "what Barbara would have done".

She has also been disqualified from driving for two years and must complete 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days.