A 95-year-old woman has been spared jail after she ran over and killed a pensioner while turning into a petrol station forecourt in the West Midlands.
Joan Barwick, believed to be Britain's oldest female killer driver, struck Linda Wareham, 78, as she walked her dog near a Tesco Express in Oldswinford on April 17, 2025. Mrs Wareham died in hospital the following day from catastrophic head injuries.
Barwick, who was 94 at the time, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard she had been looking for a disabled parking space rather than at the road ahead, and had seven seconds to spot Mrs Wareham but failed to do so.
Judge Michael Chambers KC described the incident as a "momentary failure" of concentration, adding that Mrs Wareham was "entirely blameless" and had a right of way on the pavement. He noted Barwick's unblemished driving record, genuine remorse, and early guilty plea.
She was handed a 16-month suspended sentence and disqualified from driving for ten years.
