Van driver jailed for causing death of pensioner after driving wrong way on road

A van driver who ran over and killed an elderly pedestrian after reversing through a no-entry sign and then backed the wrong way along a one-way residential street has been jailed.

Amid chaotic scenes in central Wigton after a number of earlier stabbings on the late afternoon of 31 July, 2019, David Barron, 57, made the decision to back his Mercedes Sprinter vehicle the wrong way into New Street as he sought to visit a business.

Carlisle Crown Court heard Barron’s vehicle had limited visibility to the rear, a “substantial” blind spot and, in addition, no rear window, reversing camera or audible alarm.

“The result being that he never saw William "Billy" Hughes until after he ran him over,” said prosecutor Harriet Lavin.

Eyewitness Wayne Jackson yelled “stop, stop” as the events unfolded and banged on the van’s rear door in a bid to stop the crash.

But as the slow-speed collision occurred, 84-year-old Mr Hughes suffered unsurvivable injuries and he died a short time later despite the efforts of emergency services personnel.

Barron denied causing death by careless driving but was convicted following a crown court trial during which jurors heard he had reversed around 72m (236ft) the wrong way down narrow New Street.

Some 47m was on a straight stretch of road for around 22.5 seconds.

When interviewed and during his later trial evidence, Barron insisted that his actions had been reasonable and justified.

As he was sentenced on 27 March, impact statements provided by Mr Hughes’ loved ones were summarised.

His wife, Alice, had stated: “Losing Billy has left an enormous hole in all of our lives. I cannot put into words how much I miss him. I’ve really struggled with losing someone I shared so much of my life with.”

One daughter, Jacqueline Tweddle, told how their mother had to endure the Covid pandemic without her husband.

Mr Hughes’ other daughter, Maureen Curwen, said the image of New Street “was like something out of a horror movie” for her.

Professional driver Barron had since lost his employment, suffered from ill health and had shown remorse, which was, said his barrister, both “palpable and genuine”.

In a letter, Mr Barron spoke of being “distraught” that Mr Hughes’ family would think he was not remorseful, saying that “could not be further from the truth”.

He spoke of regularly reliving the incident and of Mr Hughes being “the first person I think about when I wake up”. 

But passing sentence Judge Guy Mathieson concluded Barron, of Hillcrest Avenue, Carlisle, had accepted responsibility but not fault for a “rushed and rash decision” to reverse as he had, noting he continued to maintain he’d done nothing wrong.

“The manoeuvre that you chose to undertake that day was inherently risky,” said Judge Mathieson.

But, jailing Barron for 18 months, the judge told him the case was “not just about you”.

Judge Mathieson said of Mr Hughes: “He is not gone, to be forgotten. He was a man in good health taken before his time; who left a widow to cope with her loss through the worst parts of lockdown; who left children and grandchildren.”

Barron must serve a three-year driving ban when released from custody.