Heartbroken father will ‘never forgive or forget’ driver who killed his son in crash
A holidaymaker who caused a fatal crash after falling asleep at the wheel has been jailed for 30 months and banned from driving for three years. Christopher Brunt had only two hours sleep the previous night after being called away to his seriously ill father’s hospital bed. Simon Ash, prosecuting, said that Brunt, who was…
A holidaymaker who caused a fatal crash after falling asleep at the wheel has been jailed for 30 months and banned from driving for three years.
Christopher Brunt had only two hours sleep the previous night after being called away to his seriously ill father’s hospital bed.
Simon Ash, prosecuting, said that Brunt, who was holidaying at Cleethorpes with his family, spent the night sleeping in a chair alongside his father at the hospital in Chesterfield before setting off in the morning to rejoin his family on the East Coast.
But he nodded off as he drove along the A631 at Willingham Hill, North Willingham, before straying over the centre white line.
Mr Ash said that Brunt’s BMW X3 initially collided with a skip lorry and then struck a Ford Focus which was coming in the opposite direction.
Adam Mohamed, a dentists’ receptionist, who was driving the Ford Focus was killed.
He was travelling from his home in the Louth area to work in Market Rasen when the collision occurred.
He was two weeks away from celebrating his 21st birthday.
Mr Ash told the court: “At the time of the collision the weather conditions were clear and dry.
“The accident investigator said the BMW collided with the lorry and the front offside wheel became detached. After that the defendant would have had little if any opportunity to steer.
“The BMW collided with the lorry and then moved further across into the west-bound lane. He then collided with the front of the Ford Focus. The BMW did not seem to take any action to avoid the Focus.”
When Brunt was interviewed by police he said he had no recollection of the collision.
Mr Ash said: “He would not admit he had fallen asleep. He showed no remorse.”
Adam Mohamed’s father Sam Mohamed told the court that the family have been left totally devastated by Adam’s death.
He said that Adam had overcome serious health problems earlier in his life and was “perfect” for his job as a dentists’ receptionist.
He added: “Adam was the kindest, most tolerant person I know.”
In a statement directed at Brunt he added:
“We shall never forgive or forget because your actions have devastated the whole family.”
Brunt, 51, of Claylands Place, Whitwell, Derbyshire, admitted a charge of causing death by careless driving as a result of the collision on April 8, 2015.
Recorder Gareth Evans QC, passing sentence, told him: “You realised you were getting sleepy as you were driving along. You had an alternative. You could have stopped but you decided to drive on. As a result you killed Adam Mohamed.
“I bear in mind that there has been no attempt by you to apologise to the family for robbing them of Adam.”
Alison Summers, in mitigation, said Brunt was of previous good character and was himself injured in the collision suffering a fractured sternum and a fractured ankle.
“He is sorry. Such an apology is necessarily inadequate for what he accepts is the complete devastation upon the family and upon the friends of this young man.
“It has taken him some time to come to terms with the fact that he and he alone is responsible for the death. Whatever sentence the court imposes this man will have to live with that for the rest of his life.
“He had spent the previous night at the hospital where his father had been admitted having has a suspected stroke.
“His sleep was limited. That lack of sleep combined with his worry at his dad’s condition no doubt caused him to lose concentration and to fall asleep at the wheel.”
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Phase two of the works at Speakers’ Corner in Lincoln is well underway and expected to finish on schedule this summer.
Phase two, which began on Monday, January 11, will see existing paving upgraded, as well as new street furniture being installed.
It will follow the first phase which was completed and open to the public on December 22, with a new bench put in place around the existing London Plane tree, instead of the demolished kiosk.
Speakers Corner bench is in place, but closed off until phase two paving works are finished. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Site setup for phase two is complete, with workers on site currently digging out the existing hard paving standings at the Cornhill.
A large portion of the area has been fenced off while work takes place, leaving just two pedestrian strips on either side to access both the High Street and the Cornhill Quarter.
There is limited access in the area while works take place. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Despite the cold and wet weather throughout January, progress of the paving removal has not been affected.
This means that phase two works are still on course to be finished in summer this year.
It is hoped that once the area is completed, the walkways will blend in with those at Exchange Square, as well as utilising the space for events.
A look at how the finished development will look. | Illustration: City of Lincoln Council
Bin collections in Boston and in parts of East Lindsey will be suspended for the rest of the week due to COVID-related staff absences.
The collections will be suspended from Wednesday, January 27 as a number of East Lindsey District Council’s and Boston Borough Council’s waste crews either have coronavirus or are self-isolating.
Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District Council said it is not a decision that has been taken lightly and it is necessary for the service to be suspended in some southern parts of the district until Monday, February 1.
From Monday, waste collections are expected to continue as normal.
Households impacted by the disruption can present any accumulated side waste in black refuse sacks alongside their black bins on their next scheduled bin collection.
The following areas are affected:
Boston
Friskney
Eastville
New Leake
Stickford
Coningsby (part)
Coningsby Moorside
Dalderby
Haltham
Mareham Le Fen
Moorby
N Bolingbroke
Revesby
Scrivelsby
Tumby
Tumby Moorside
Tumby Woodside
Wilksby
Wood Enderby
Carrington
Dogdyke
Frithville
Gypsey Bridge
New Bolingbroke
New York
Scrub Hill
Thornton Le Fen
Westville
Antons Gowt
Cowbridge
Fishtoft
Frithville
Langrick
Sibsey
East Keal
East Kirkby
Hagnaby
Keal Coates
Midville
Stickney
Toynton All Saints
West Keal
Victoria Burgess, Assistant Director for Operations at the council, said: “Over the past couple of days it has proved a real challenge to keep the service going with a number of rounds having not been completed due to staff absences.
“With more crews off again today we needed to take action now and suspending the service is the only realistic option available to us to keep everyone safe – something we’ve worked hard to avoid.
“Our workforce has done an amazing job over the past year and they’ve received much praise from the community and are grateful for your continued good wishes.”
Meanwhile, Lincolnshire County Council has agreed to extend their open days at the Household Recycling Centre on Bittern Way for the disposal of black-bagged general waste and recycling only.
The two extra days of opening are Wednesday and Thursday of this week and next, between the hours of 8am and 4pm.
Over 6,000 people living in and around the Scunthorpe have signed up to donate convalescent plasma after having coronavirus.
This comes as NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is appealing for more potential plasma donors ahead of an upcoming third trial.
Convalescent plasma is the antibody-rich plasma of people who’ve had coronavirus. This can be transfused into people who are struggling to develop their own immune response.
NHSBT wants more people in the area hitting the 28-day recovery mark to sign up.
Over 30 donations have so far been taken at the Scunthorpe donor centre at Berkeley House at Berkeley Business Centre on Doncaster Road, which opened in December last year.
People can register to donate online here and can donate 28 days after they’ve recovered from coronavirus.
The Lincolnshire centre is located at Berkeley House at Berkeley Business Centre on Doncaster Road in Scunthorpe. | Photo: NHSBT
NHSBT is collecting the plasma for new trials for older people or those with cancer to treat them early in the course of the infection.
Two earlier trials have now stopped for data analysis. The upcoming third trial’s focus will be on those with low immune systems and all donations are tested for COVID antibodies.
The NHS trials of convalescent plasma are the largest randomised controlled trials for this treatment of COVID-19.
Professor Dave Roberts, Associate Medical Director for Blood Donation at NHSBT, said: “More people than ever are now able to help – the time to donate is now.
“We especially need donations from people in Scunthorpe who’ve had hospital care. Men who had hospital care are around six times more likely to have the high antibody levels which might save lives.
“We have completed two trials and analysis is ongoing. We now need to collect plasma for further planned clinical studies. We’re particularly looking at high risk groups such as the elderly and people with cancer.
“Donations are vital to the ongoing lifesaving research, which gives us a better understanding of how we can best treat patients with COVID-19 and help prevent deaths in the future.”