A mother-of-two received a community order after admitting causing the death of a Bradford scooter enthusiast.

Zdenka Samkova, a Czech national, was ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work and was banned from driving for a year, when she appeared at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

Samkova, 33, of Buttershaw Drive, Bradford, had been driving to work when she was in collision with father-of-four Richard Harper in December 2009.

Mr Harper, 45, of Tyersal Terrace, Tyersal, was, unbeknown to him, suffering from a severe heart condition, which caused him to collapse and fall from his Vespa motorbike in Rooley Lane, the court heard.

Jonathan Sharp, for the Crown, told the court most drivers on the road had slowed due to dense fog.

Samkova, although travelling below the speed limit, was driving too fast for the conditions, he said.

One driver stopped immediately as Mr Harper fell and put her hazard lights on while two halted after noticing debris in the road from the bike.

But Samkova, who had been travelling behind the third vehicle, collided with Mr Harper, who suffered multiple injuries as he was pulled under her car. Samkova, who continued to drive for around 70 metres after the collision, told police she had seen nothing in the road and initially thought she had driven over a speed bump.

Mr Harper, an engineer at Borg Warner on the Euroway industrial estate, was later pronounced dead at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Representing Samkova, solicitor Andrew Walker said: “It’s difficult to bring to mind a more exceptional sequence of events that conspired against Mr Harper and also against this defendant on this night."

Sentencing Samkova, Judge Jonathan Rose described her as a loving mother and wife with “impeccable” previous character and said she was deeply remorseful. It was unlikely Mr Harper would have survived had the road accident not occurred, he said.