Grantham driver Mark Roberts jailed after crash on Sankt Augustin Way that killed woman, 91

A 57-year-old man has been sentenced to eight years in jail after a crash that killed a 91-year-old woman.

Mark Roberts, 57, of Holden Way, Great Gonerby, appeared in court today (Friday, October 25) after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving on Monday, November 27, 2023.

Gwendoline Christian, 91, died six days after being hit by Roberts’ car on Sankt Augustin Way, Grantham.

Roberts was over the limit and on his mobile phone during the incident.

On a dark, rainy night, he did not see Ms Christian crossing shortly after 4.45pm.

Ms Christian was described as an active woman whose garden was pristine.

She spent much time planting flowers, looking after her cats, talking to her neighbours, and enjoying her life.

In a victim personal statement from her nephew, he described the devastating loss he has felt since his aunt died.

Roberts received an eight-year, three-month sentence and a nine-year, 45-day, driving ban after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Roberts was driving his green Vauxhall Astra on his usual route back from work in Melton Mowbray and was only five minutes away from home before the collision with Ms Christian.

The serious collision investigation found Roberts hadn’t seen any pedestrians as he neared Sankt Augustin Way and Dysart Road.

The lights were on green for him, meaning Ms Christian was crossing on a pedestrian red light, but he failed to notice her on the pedestrian crossing until the time of the accident.

She was taken to hospital, where she later died.

A subsequent reconstruction held by investigators found that there was sufficient lighting provided by the streetlights and surrounding premises to make Ms Christian visible.

Roberts’s speed at the time of the incident is believed to have been no more than 20mph, and Ms Christian would have been visible for at least three to four seconds.

In interview, Roberts said he didn’t expect a pedestrian in the road, though investigators found he could have seen and stopped in time.

When interrogating Roberts’s phone records, and in the expert opinion of the forensic collision investigator PC Barlow, police said it was highly likely Roberts was on his mobile phone at the time.

Roberts admitted to making a phone call on his way home.

He said he ended the call as he drove by a nearby petrol station in Harlaxton Road.

Roberts told officers he did not know how to connect the Bluetooth in his car, so he held it up against his ear in his hand.

PC Barlow determined that only 28 seconds elapsed from Roberts’s call ending to a witness connecting with 999.

Factoring in minimum dialling time, Barlow concluded Roberts was likely on his phone at the time of the incident.

Shortly after the collision, he provided an evidential breath sample, which showed he had 71 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath; the legal limit is 35 micrograms.

In a police interview, Roberts said he was having a difficult time in his life; the day of the collision had been his late mother’s birthday, who would have been 94.

He was also affected by the death of his best friend and two colleagues who had recently died.

He drank from a bottle of Jack Daniels in the boot of his car before setting off from work.

Detective Sergeant Adam Doona, from the serious collision investigation unit at Lincolnshire Police, said: “It’s difficult to put into words how tragic this collision is.

“The very sad death of Ms Christian, who is missed greatly, could so very easily have been avoided.

“Roberts must have known it is dangerous to drive, hold a phone and be in conversation with someone when in charge of and driving a car.

“Research shows a person’s driving will be worse when on the phone compared to when they are not. Along with the phone use, he admits to drinking Jack Daniels and was double the legal alcohol limit to drive.

“Not only has Roberts broken several laws, but society also rightly demands better from drivers. There are and can be no excuses.

“This case is a stark reminder not only of the penalties for those who break the law in such a way but the devastating and very final impact their actions can have.

“No punishment can match the loss of Ms Christian’s life in such a way and the long-lasting effects that can have on those who cared for her. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Ms Christian.”