A woman who caused a fatal head-on crash while hurrying to sell beauty products before a salon closed has been handed a suspended sentence. Laila Barnard-Wigley, 27, from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, admitted causing the deaths of Dean Yarrow, 33, and his girlfriend Faye Wardle, 32, by careless driving.
Hull Crown Court heard Barnard-Wigley was driving a Mercedes on the A165 on May 7, 2021, when heavy rain left standing water on the road. She overtook vehicles to make rapid progress, intending to reach a beauty salon before its 3.30pm closing time. Her car aquaplaned into an oncoming Peugeot 208 driven by Mr Yarrow, with Miss Wardle in the front passenger seat. A young boy in the back was uninjured.
Prosecutor Michael Greenhalgh said Barnard-Wigley was in a hurry and had been messaging a friend about selling Estée Lauder products. Moments before the collision, she had overtaken another vehicle and pulled in, but her car veered right and struck the oncoming car. The court was told she was driving too fast for the conditions.
Victim impact statements described the devastation. Mr Yarrow’s mother said she was “broken beyond repair,” while Miss Wardle’s father said the silence at home was “deafening.” Her sister said: “They were both the life and soul of any party. It feels like part of my identity has been taken.”
Mitigating, Richard Dawson said it was “simple driver error” and a momentary lapse. “Had she been driving more slowly, she might not have aquaplaned,” he said. “This was an entirely out of character event.” Barnard-Wigley suffered serious injuries and has expressed profound remorse.
Recorder David Gordon handed Barnard-Wigley a two-year suspended sentence, 200 hours of unpaid work, and a five-year driving ban. He said: “Nothing can undo the tragedy of that day. I hope that by making this order, you will pay back to society in a positive way.”
