Scunthorpe van driver jailed for dangerous driving after badly injured motor-cyclist left fighting for life
A Scunthorpe van driver has been locked up for eight months after driving through a red light and colliding with a motorcyclist in an incident that left his victim fighting for his life.
William Lilburn, 57, of Matlock Court, was convicted unanimously by a jury after denying dangerous driving in a trial at Grimsby Crown Court.
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LONG RECOVERY: Accident victim Gareth Robinson pictured with his partner Claire Bell. Mr Robinson is recovering from the crash last November which has now seen the other motorist, William Lilburn, jailed
Sentencing Lilburn, Judge David Tremberg said he had taken account of the impact on the motorcyclist Gareth Robinson – who was given a five per cent chance of survival by doctors at the time of the crash.
The court heard he suffered a punctured lung, three breaks to one of his legs, kidney damage, a broken collar bone and four broken ribs.
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He is still in a wheelchair and can walk around his home only with the aid of crutches following the collision at around midday on November 20 last year.
Mr Robinson lost ten litres of blood and had to be taken to Castle Hill Hospital in Hull to have an operation to seal two of his arteries.
He broke his spine and suffered a series of other injuries in the collision – and his heart stopped at one point during the treatment.
In his victim impact statement, Mr Robinson said the injuries had affected his interaction with his children.
He had sold his treasured motorcycle for a reduced price, despite it being his main hobby.
The court heard he had given up his job and his partner Claire Bell had also given up her job in order to care for him at home.
The judge told how the collision happened when Lilburn went through the lights at the junction of West Common Lane and Ashby Road, despite there being three red lights.
He collided with Mr Robinson, who was riding to work on his motorcycle.
He said the rider was a "keen but careful motorcyclist".
Sentencing Lilburn, he said: "You had no memory of the journey from Frodingham Road.
"Had you been paying attention, you would have seen the motorist behind. She flashed her headlights as you went through the lights."
The van drove over the motorcyclist and his bike.
The judge said the victim had suffered multiple and enduring injuries.
He said the defendant was a "model citizen", having served in the Armed Forces and been a foster carer – and been referred to by friends as "generous and trustworthy".
Judge Tremberg said no sentence he passed could restore the health of the victim.
He sentenced him to eight months in prison.
For Lilburn, Mark Watterson said his client had called police the moment the collision happened.
He said: "He accepts his driving was not of an acceptable standard."
He added he had shown remorse and wanted to meet Mr Robinson, but had been advised he should not do so.
Comments
by jackcj
Friday, September 07 2012, 7:04PM
“Its about time vans were made like lorries and fitted with tachographs. Might slow down some of the morons that drive them.”
by HattyTood
Friday, September 07 2012, 1:06PM
“Not defending or condoning the way some of these van drivers rush around, but I expect most of it is down to the company they work for placing huge targets they have to achieve to ensure they get paid more than a pittance.
Nobody should be under 'pressure' to complete a certain number of tasks in a set time, especially those on the roads.”
by HeavenlyManna
Friday, September 07 2012, 11:29AM
“Sorry after his Automatic Conditional Release, 4 months hardly seems an appropriate sentence to actually serve in such harrowing circumstances.
I do sincerely hope that the insurers for such drivers are appropriately and justly taken to the cleaners for the personal and criminal injuries and damages that their clients cause by their dangerous driving.
AND more to the point that the insurers, through their ABI systems, take over over from where the judicial system fail. By subsequently making sure that such drivers find it unviable/impractical to obtain future insurance cover and dangerous drivers are effectively taken off our streets.”
by gordonio
Friday, September 07 2012, 10:23AM
“Sorry if I seem to tar all van drivers with the same brush, on a daily basis I see these people driving like the devil were after them, pushing in at junctions, overtaking etc, and what for, all to get to their destination a couple of minutes earlier. Saving time, and what exactly are they saving time for? Look at collisions reported on these pages and most of them involve a van or a lorry.
I hope Mr Robinson gets his life back on track.”