A woman who was using Snapchat when she killed a farmer in a crash has been jailed for three years and two months after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.
Ami Dronsfield, 36, hit Michael Armstrong, 58, on the A697 in Northumberland as he travelled on his quad bike to care for his elderly father after work. Newcastle Crown Court heard she said "I need to contact the hairdresser" as her victim lay in the road.
Fatal distraction on the A697
Dronsfield was driving to a salon in Alnwick from her home in Glanton when her VW Golf ploughed into the back of Mr Armstrong's Honda all-terrain vehicle just after 5pm in November 2024, prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told the court. She had already overtaken two vehicles, and one witness estimated she reached 80mph on the 60mph road, although her speed was disputed.
Other drivers stopped at the scene and found Dronsfield "in shock" and on the phone to emergency services. She was heard to say "I need to contact the hairdresser" and "Oh my God what if I killed him," Wardlaw said.
Catastrophic injuries and family devastation
Mr Armstrong suffered catastrophic injuries and spent 11 "terrible" days on life support in Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary before he died. Wardlaw said Dronsfield's phone was used twice during the drive, including accessing Snapchat for the seven seconds immediately before the crash.
Mr Armstrong's wife of 28 years told the court that the "brutal and senseless" death of her "beloved" husband had been "devastating". He had left their home that evening with his usual goodbye of "Right, I'm off, I'll see you soon," little knowing they were to be his final words.
The couple's son received a call from another farmer reporting a nearby crash, prompting them to rush to the scene. "What we came upon was beyond horrific," she said, adding that people were "in shock at the carnage" and that her "beautiful husband" lay among the wreckage.
Court warning and sentencing
Judge Robert Adams said the case should "send a shudder down the spine" of any driver who used a phone. He also said it should send a "stark" warning that even a "very short period of distraction" could have "fatal consequences", especially at night when the light from the device's screen would make visibility of the road worse.
The court heard speed was not a factor in the crash and Dronsfield, who had worked for Northumberland County Council for 17 years, only used her phone for six seconds. In a letter to the court, she said she had made a "huge mistake" and would "never overcome" the guilt she felt.
Speaking after the case, Insp Steven Clare, of Northumbria Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "First of all, I would like to praise Michael's loved ones for the composure and patience they have shown throughout these proceedings. Our in-depth investigation has shown without question that Dronsfield was using her mobile phone in the seconds leading up to the collision. Someone has lost their life simply because a driver wanted to check their Snapchat. This was entirely avoidable, and simply should not have happened if Dronsfield was paying attention to the road ahead."
Dronsfield will serve no more than half of her sentence, equivalent to 19 months, in prison before being released on licence.
