A 94-year-old driver who killed a woman in a 10mph crash has avoided jail after a court heard that sending her to prison 'would reduce her life expectancy to months'.
Joan Barwick, 95, of Walker Avenue in Wollescote, Dudley, knocked down grandmother Linda Wareham, 78, as she crossed a petrol station entrance with her dog on Hagley Road in Oldswinford on April 17, 2025. Barwick was driving at just 10mph but was looking at a disabled parking space instead of the road, and struck Mrs Wareham, who suffered catastrophic head injuries. Her life support was turned off at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham the next day.
Barwick pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at Wolverhampton Crown Court and was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. She was also disqualified from driving for 10 years and ordered to pay £705 in prosecution costs.
Defending, Paul Lewis pleaded with the court to avoid a custodial sentence, arguing it would reduce Barwick's life expectancy to months. He said Barwick had 'genuine remorse' and had surrendered her driving licence after the collision. 'Her remorse is genuine and sincere. She admitted her wrongdoing at the earliest opportunity. She does not in any way seek to excuse what took place. She continues to suffer the consequences of what she has done,' Lewis said.
Judge Michael Chambers KC suspended the sentence, noting that a period in custody would have a 'significant impact' on the defendant. He added: 'Nothing I say in imposing sentence can put the clock back nor should any sentence I impose be seen as an attempt to put value on a life that has been lost. The Crown's case is put on the basis that this was a momentary failure to keep a proper lookout. You were simply not looking at what was in front of you, instead looking at an available parking space.'
The judge also noted Barwick had no previous convictions and a good driving record, and that her eyesight had been deemed satisfactory when she reapplied for her licence in January 2025.
