A man who admitted causing the death of a woman and seriously injuring two others by careless driving has been sentenced at Merthyr Crown Court.
Ronald Dowling, of Salop Street in Caerphilly, was driving a Maserati Ghibli along the A4042 New Inn, Pontypool on October 26, 2023, when he lost control and collided with Sharon Berry's black Audi A3, which was parked in a layby.
She had been parked there because of the weather conditions in the area at the time. The court heard that it had been raining heavily and conditions were described as "adverse".
Impact of the collision
The impact of the collision killed Mrs Berry, 54, and seriously injured his wife, Kim Dowling, who was a front seat passenger, and their long-time friend, Jane Beedell, in the back seat, who they had been taking to the hospital for an appointment.
Judge Celia Hughes said that Mrs Berry's death was "completely senseless in every respect of the word", adding she was "simply sitting in her car by the roadside that day."
A statement from Mrs Berry's son, Luke Berry, was read on his behalf during the case, which read how he has found it "extremely difficult to cope" since the loss of his mum, that she was "the glue which held their family together", and that "losing her will be something he carries with him for the rest of my life."
Sentencing
The court heard how the incident 'profoundly changed' Dowling as an individual, and that he held 'deep regret and remorse'.
Dowling was sentenced to 27 months in prison, suspended for two years. He must carry out 250 hours unpaid work.
