Pensioner who drove into woman in car park given suspended prison sentence for causing her death

Sentencing Isobel Dunlop at Antrim Crown Court, Judge Sandra Crawford told the 84-year-old retired civil servant her offence crossed the custodial threshold.

She added however, that given the background to the case, including the defendant’s clear record, guilty plea and genuine remorse, that justified an exceptional approach and therefore, the sentence would be suspended.

On the morning she was due to go on trial earlier this month, Dunlop, from Postboys Walk in Ballymoney, entered a guilty plea to causing the death of Sandra Cooper on December 6 2021 by driving carelessly in the car park of Eurospar on John Street in Ballymoney.

Defence KC Ronan Lavery said while he had lodged written submissions in advance of the plea and sentence, his client wanted him to express publicly, “her sincere apologies and condolences” to Mrs Cooper’s family.

Mrs Cooper’s son and daughter looked on from the public gallery as Judge Crawford thanked them for their poignant victim impact statements.

She told the court the statements made it clear how 64-year-old Mrs Cooper was a much-loved mother and grandmother, whose tragic death has caused a “devastating loss” for all of them.

“I recognise the immense pain that they have suffered and the enormous hurt that exists in their lives,” said the judge.

Turning to the facts of the case, she outlined how it was around 4.30pm when Mrs Cooper was walking across the car park of the Eurospar, on her way to her own vehicle.

Dunlop had been in the shop too and had reversed her Hyundai out of a space but when she went to drive forwards, the front nearside of her car struck Mrs Cooper.

The court heard that in an incident captured on CCTV, it was clear the victim had become lodged under the Hyundai but unaware of the fact, Dunlop tried to drive her car backwards and forwards trying to dislodge her car.

“Those efforts continued for 37 seconds when the defendant then got out of her car and inspected the obstruction,” Judge Crawford said, adding that once she realised there was a person under her car, the pensioner summoned help.

Emergency services were tasked to the scene and once Mrs Cooper was freed, efforts to resuscitate her began but sadly, she suffered a cardiac arrest.

The judge said that a doctor had opined that death was due to a hypoxic brain injury, which was associated with the road traffic collision.

Dunlop, the court heard, “co-operated fully” with the police investigation “but could not explain why she did not see the deceased”.

Judge Crawford said it was clear that by causing Mrs Cooper’s death, “the harm in this case is high” but that as regards her culpability, the case “is in the middle category” between momentary inattention and being close to dangerous driving.

The judge said the defendant “should have paid closer attention to the road,” especially given the fact that it happened in a car park and an area where “pedestrians were highly likely to be walking”.

Although there was no pre-sentence report before the court, the defence had highlighted that Dunlop had a blemish-free driving record since 1966, that she had worked for more than 30 years in the civil service and that currently, she is the treasurer of a local community group for the elderly.

In addition to the suspended prison sentence, Judge Crawford also imposed an 18-month driving ban, ordering that the 84-year-old will have to re-sit her test to get back on the road.

It was pointed out however, that Dunlop “has no desire to resume her driving career”.