A prison officer who was online gambling while driving has been jailed after causing a crash that led to a pregnant woman giving birth prematurely. Jack Bentley, 30, was driving his Ford Focus on the A50 in Stoke-on-Trent when he crashed into the back of a stationary Nissan X-Trail, forcing it into another car.
The collision occurred at around 6.45pm on 6 April. The pregnant passenger in the Nissan suffered a fractured pelvis and underwent an emergency caesarean section. Her baby was born prematurely and spent weeks in intensive care, with both lungs collapsing at one point. The driver of the Nissan suffered whiplash, and two other children in the vehicle were injured. The family's pet dog also required emergency surgery.
Analysis of Bentley's phone data showed he had been visiting online gambling sites while driving from Blackpool to Derby. He was arrested at the scene and later charged with two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, to which he pleaded guilty.
At Derby Crown Court on 11 February, Bentley was sentenced to two years and four months in prison and disqualified from driving for three years and two months. PC Richard Morris, who led the investigation, described Bentley's driving as 'appalling' and said his actions were 'nothing short of despicable'.
