Suspended sentence for woman who killed cemetery worker

A 95 year old woman has been handed a suspended jail sentence for running over and killing a cemetery worker.

Gertrude Lister, was visiting her husband’s grave in Maidenhead, when she pushed the wrong pedal, accelerating into 47-year-old Paul Mills.

Mrs Lister was given a 16-month jail term, which was suspended for two years.

She claimed to accidentally push the accelerator and told the police “the car just took off”. She tried to avoid a parked lorry, but instead crashed through a hedge and across a car park.

Mr Mills was behind the hedge, attending to graves. The father of two died an hour later in hospital.

Judge Paul Dugdale said: “In reality, there is nothing this court can do can do to alleviate the loss of Mr Mills. It is so unfair.

“She chose to plead guilty to death by dangerous driving, rather than death by careless driving, to avoid causing further grief to the family of the deceased by going through a trial.

“Taking into account her very elderly age, and the fact that this is a low level case, allows me to pass on a sentence of 16 months in prison.”