Mother jailed for killing son in blind bend crash

The force of the crash on the blind bend killed nine-year-old Zac

A father has said he feels "betrayed" after his wife, who was suffering with her mental health, was allowed to pick up their son from school just hours before she crashed at high speed on a blind bend, causing his death.

Barbara Roe, from Wiltshire, who had been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder, overtook a van at more than 75mph on the A354 at East Woodyates in Dorset, colliding head-on with a lorry carrying livestock.

On Friday, Bournemouth Crown Court heard the 39-year-old, who had been exhibiting symptoms of mania, was "racing" the van to pass it, on 25 March, 2024.

The force of the collision detached her engine and threw her car into the air, killing her nine-year-old son, Zac.

The defendant, of Ludgershall, Wiltshire, was jailed for five years for causing death by dangerous driving, and also banned from driving for seven-and-a-half years.

Judge Robert Pawson said Roe will "carry the burden" of knowing she caused the death of her own son for the rest of her life.

He added: "There is clear evidence of a progressive deterioration and it affected her rationality."

But he added that Roe "knew what she was doing and she knew what she was doing was wrong".

Roe had previously been sectioned in 2022

Siobhan Linsley, prosecuting, told the court the defendant and Zac's father Josh Roe had recently "unexpectedly" separated and he had become concerned about her mental state.

Ms Linsley said Mr Roe had attempted to contact the authorities to express his concern about the condition of his wife, who had previously been sectioned in 2022, but no action was taken to prevent her from picking Zac, from Andover in Hampshire, up from school on the day of the fatal crash.

Describing his son, Mr Roe said he was "an amazing boy, full of life, fearless and clever".

"My heart is broken beyond words, I miss Zac so much," he said.

"I feel so betrayed by the professional services who should have listened to me."

In an impact statement, he told the court he had suffered suicidal thoughts and had been sectioned following his son's death.

'Glorification of speed'

The court heard that Christopher Roe, Zac's paternal grandfather, had warned the defendant to drive carefully after she had boasted about how powerful the Citroen car was that she had hired for the day.

She had also previously sent him a message saying that she had been stopped by a police car for speeding at 80mph in a 40mph zone - which the judge said showed an "element of glorification of speed".

Charles Gabb, defending, said that Roe had been experiencing a "deteriorating mental state" and added: "Ms Roe has a life sentence, her sense of loss is possibly the greatest of all and the tragedy is that it is self-inflicted."

Mr Gabb explained that Mrs Roe had wanted to take Zac to visit Durdle Door and had become "agitated" by her wish to get there in time that evening.