Nurse mounted kerb and killed 'doting' grandad after 'distressing' day at work
A "doting grandad" was tragically killed by a nurse who was driving whilst "pre-occupied" from an incident at work, a court has heard.
Joanne Robinson, 56, hit Gary Lightoller, 66, from behind with her Hyundai as he trimmed the front hedge of his property in Ganstead, Hull. She was driving home from a "distressing" care home assessment on a patient with multiple sclerosis at the time of the crash.
Judge Mark Bury said there was no way Mr Lightoller would have survived because the force of the crash knocked him off his feet and caused him to land on a brick pillar on June 27 last year.
Robinson had the "momentary lapse of concentration" shortly after visiting a residential and dementia home in Bridlington to meet a seriously ill man for a pre-arranged assessment. Hull Crown Court heard that Robinson tried to control the car and bring it back onto the road.
She later said: "He just came out of nowhere. It happened so quick." She was screaming hysterically and said: "What have I done?" She said that she should have slammed on her brakes. Robert Stevenson, prosecuting, said that both Robinson and the car in front were travelling at the speed limit of around 30mph. Paramedics rushed to the scene but the grandad died shortly after 4.56pm.
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Robinson has admitted to causing death by dangerous driving (Hull Live)There were no defects on Robinson's car. She passed an eye test, had a clean driving licence, was not speeding, had not been drinking nor using drugs, had not been using her phone and had no previous convictions, reports Hull Live. "She failed to negotiate the curvature of the road and mounted the pavement," said Mr Stevenson. "As she approached, her vehicle appeared to be under control and driving normally. She said that she did not see Mr Lightoller.
"She said that she did not know what happened and did not know if she had, what she described as, a 'moment' or a 'lapse'. She did not think that, at the time, she needed to pull over but accepted that it was possible that her mind was elsewhere or she was distracted. She was very upset. She accepted that it was her fault."
Mr Lightoller's wife, Patricia, said in a family statement that her husband left school at 16, did various jobs until he was 19 and worked as a foreman at Hull Docks until retiring at the age of 65 in December 2021. He was really popular among friends and family and had a younger brother Mark, two daughters, Emma and Katie, and four grandchildren, two boys and two girls, Madison, Oscar, Lilly and Bobby.
She said he had been "looking forward to travelling the world" with her during his retirement, after saving up for the trips. He was described as a "dedicated family man" and had at least 500 people turn up to his funeral. Mr Lightoller's daughter, Emma, described their loss as "heartwrenching". She said: "When we lost Gary, we lost everything. Our lives will never be the same. All the grandchildren found it very hard. He was the one who could solve anything major in our lives.
Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said that Robinson had caused "devastation" to the family of Mr Lightoller. She added: "She has been traumatised by what happened and by the consequences of her actions and the impact that this has had on Mr Lightoller's family and her own family and friends. This does appear to have been, albeit devastating, a momentary lapse of concentration."
Robinson had written a letter saying: "There will never be enough words to express how truly sorry I am. I am truly devastated and ashamed, but my pain that I carry is nothing compared to the loss of a loved one. Nothing will ever be the same again." She had worked in the caring profession, previously as a nursery nurse and a nanny.
She gained a nursing degree at the University of Hull, becoming the first person in her family to go to university. She had worked most recently as a specialist multiple sclerosis nurse, based at Hull Royal Infirmary three days a week, and in the outpatients department at Spire Hospital, Anlaby, for the other two days. She was currently suspended from those two roles. Robinson was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence and 200 hours' unpaid work. She was banned from driving for two years and must pass an extended retest before she can drive legally again.
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