Zoe Graham, the wife of singer Rag 'n' Bone Man, has avoided an immediate prison sentence after crashing her Range Rover into another family's car at speeds exceeding 50 miles per hour. The 38-year-old was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and disqualified from driving for one year following the incident on August 9, 2023, near Lewes, East Sussex.
Crash Details and Court Proceedings
Hove Crown Court heard that Graham was rushing to pick up her children from school when she overtook a line of cars by illegally crossing double white lines. As she did so, Samantha Keen began turning off the road, and Graham's vehicle collided with Keen's car. Both vehicles were severely damaged, and emergency services were called to the scene.
Keen, who was in the car with her three children, begged paramedics to save her life so that her children would not be orphaned. Their father had died in a car crash the previous year. Prosecutors told the court: "Her eldest child asked if mummy was going where daddy was."
Injuries and Impact on Victims
Keen was taken to hospital with a broken ankle, facial scarring, and damage to her right hip, leg, and ribs. She now requires anti-migraine medication and suffers from perpetual dizziness. All three children have developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the crash.
In a victim impact statement, Keen said: "This has had a huge impact on our lives. The children could see I had a serious injury. They thought they were going to lose their only living parent."
Graham's Statement in Court
Speaking in court, Graham explained that her children suffer from anxiety and she felt compelled to get to school quickly. "I saw the tractor and I hit her," she said. "I've never hurt anybody in my life and I would never. I'm a mum and I would never have wanted to put anyone through this. We are both mums and I know what children go through. I'm so sorry this happened because I would never want to put anyone through this."
Graham sobbed as the suspended sentence was handed down, avoiding immediate imprisonment for the dangerous driving incident.
