A woman who killed a couple in a head-on crash while rushing to sell beauty products has been given a suspended prison sentence. Laila Barnard-Wigley, 27, from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, was driving a Mercedes on the A165 when her car aquaplaned and collided with a Peugeot, killing Dean Yarrow, 33, and his girlfriend, Faye Wardle, 32.
The crash happened just before 3.30pm on May 7, 2021, after torrential rain left standing water on the road. Barnard-Wigley had been overtaking vehicles to make rapid progress, having told a friend she was in a hurry to reach a beauty salon before it closed at 3.30pm. She intended to sell beauty products including Estée Lauder and perfume.
At Hull Crown Court, Barnard-Wigley was handed a suspended sentence and a five-year driving ban. She had previously admitted causing death by careless driving, having been originally charged with dangerous driving. A retrial was ordered after a jury failed to reach verdicts in December 2023, but she later changed her pleas to guilty.
The court heard that Barnard-Wigley's car veered across the road and struck the red Peugeot 208 head-on. A young boy was in a child seat in the back of the Peugeot. Barnard-Wigley suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital. Prosecutor Michael Greenhalgh said she was driving too fast for the conditions and likely aquaplaned.
In victim impact statements, Dean Yarrow's mother said she was "broken beyond repair" and her world was destroyed. Faye Wardle's father said the "silence is deafening" at home, and her sister said she was "the person I looked up to" and that both were "the life and soul of any party."
In mitigation, Richard Dawson said the case arose from "simple driver error" and that Barnard-Wigley did not appreciate the risks of aquaplaning. He described the crash as a "momentary lapse" and "out of character," adding that she was "profoundly sorry" and had been consumed by guilt and remorse.
