Anglesey woman died after crashing into car towing trailer without brakes

Judith Pennington was pronounced dead at the scene following the crash Credit: North Wales Police

A man caused the death of a 65-year-old woman when his car crashed into her while towing a trailer with no brakes.

Judith Pennington, 65, from Llanerchymedd died following the collision in February last year.

On that day, North Wales Police received a report of a crash on the B5111 between Coedana and Llanerchymedd which involved a Nissan Nivara which was towing a mobile sheep dipping trailer and a Peugeot 208.Owen Stephen Whitehead, of Llanruddlad on Holyhead, was driving the Nissan which crashed into Mrs Pennington's Peugeot.

It was discovered there were no operational brakes on the trailer, and it was designed to be towed by an agricultural tractor and nothing else.

The trailer was being towed with no brakes Credit: North Wales Police

Police said following a lengthy investigation, Mr Whitehead was charged with dangerous driving "due to the condition in which the trailer was being towed."

Sergeant Meurig Jones of the Roads Policing Unit said, “Whitehead didn’t have the correct category of entitlement on his driving licence to authorise him to tow the trailer.

"The investigation also discovered that there was no secondary coupling fixed to the trailer to prevent to it becoming detached if that main coupling fails."

Mr Whitehead received a suspended sentenced and was disqualified from driving after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

Judith Pennington died following the collision Credit: North Wales Police

Whitehead must also complete 15 days rehabilitation activity and 50 hours unpaid work.

He has also been disqualified from driving for 12 months, and must pass an extended retest before he can drive again.

Mrs Judith Pennington’s husband, Richard, described her as his "everything".

"My wife, my best friend, my life. She was a special sister to John and a dear friend and neighbour to so many, including Jane, Janet, Carol, Liz and Dyfrig. We all miss her and her positive spirit more than words can describe", he said in a statement.

“Whilst no sentence will ever bring her back or come close to filling the enormous hole that’s been left in my life without her, almost a year after that fateful day when my life changed forever, it does give me some closure to be able to try and put all this behind me and live life the way I know Jude would want me to."