Aimi McCaffery: Driver who fell asleep jailed for killing mum-of-two

Mother-of-two Aimi McCaffery was killed while on a morning run

A driver who killed a mother-of-two when he fell asleep at the wheel has been jailed for three and a half years.

Aimi McCaffery, 46, was on a morning run near her Nottinghamshire home when Glen Widdowson's BMW drifted across the road and hit her at about 50mph.

Her husband, Nick McCaffery, said Widdowson's decision to drive on 15 May last year had "sent a tidal wave through hundreds of households".

Widdowson, 48, said her death "will haunt me for the rest of my life".

Recalling the moment police officers came to their door, Mr McCaffery said: "My future imploded in an instant, and a deep, dark shock took hold."

He then had to tell his son and daughter that their mother was dead.

"When I told them, it was [my son] who spoke first," said Mr McCaffery, whose son was only eight at the time.

"He wailed, 'Haven't we got a mummy anymore?' How do I answer that? His face, his poor little face. Obviously, it's 'no'.

"So now I must be dad and mum and work and try to be there and give these children what they need. There's a hole. We'll never fill it."

'Must have fallen asleep'

In a letter read to the court by his defence barrister, Widdowson said he empathised with the loss felt by Mrs McCaffery's family because his 22-year-old stepson died nine years ago.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him or Mrs McCaffery," Widdowson wrote.

"I still don't know what happened on that day. I don't remember feeling tired but I accept I must have fallen asleep.

"It will haunt me for the rest of my life and it's something that I and I alone will have to deal with."

Aimi McCaffery was chief executive of TwentyTwenty, a charity helping young people

Widdowson, from Addington Court in Radcliffe-on-Trent, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at a previous hearing.

Nottingham Crown Court heard that he worked as a hotel manager in Melton Mowbray, and had been working 12-hour shifts without any breaks.

On the day he killed Mrs McCaffery he was driving home from work after finished a shift at 08:17 BST.

He had covered 17 miles and was only three miles away from his home when he fell asleep at the wheel.

Mrs McCaffery had been running along Cropwell Road against the direction of traffic, in accordance with the Highway Code.

Widdowson fell asleep at about 08:45 and his car hit Mrs McCaffery from behind.

'Lives in my head'

She was killed instantly, with her cause of death cited as multiple injuries.

"I must drive past the scene of Aimi's death twice a day every day and will have to do so for as long as I live in Butler," Mr McCaffery said.

Widdowson had been diagnosed with sleep apnoea in 2016 and had not informed the DVLA about the condition. However, the prosecution said there was no evidence the disorder contributed to the incident and the defence said it had been "well treated".

Mr McCaffery said Widdowson's reluctance to admit he fell asleep had prolonged the investigation and caused the family greater pain.

"That is why he lives in my head. I can't believe he's put us through this," said Mr McCaffery.

The couple had a daughter and son together, aged 14 and 9

As well as being a mother, Mrs McCaffery also cared for her mother Mimi, who lived with the family.

Her father Peter died from cancer when she was 25 and she had promised him she would look after her mother.

"Her only daughter is gone," said Mr McCaffery.

"She's lost so much. Her husband and now Aimi. That was not the plan. Aimi was to care for her."

'Force for women'

Mrs McCaffery had been a marketing consultant in Nottingham, but her husband said there was a "turning point" when she took a job as the fundraiser for Nottingham Central Women's Aid.

The charity helps women escaping domestic violence and abusive relationships.

"What Aimi saw doing that job changed her forever," said Mr McCaffery.

"Aimi became a force for women, a positive force who put the needs of women she had never met ahead of her ambitions and career."

She became chief executive of TwentyTwenty, a charity helping young people, and delivered a programme called Love4Life, which helps vulnerable girls learn what healthy relationships look like.

Since Mrs McCaffery died the charity has rebranded as Love4Life.

Chairman Jonathan Kerry said: "Aimi was a wonderful person, a joy to know and work with.

"She held a deep passion for helping the young people we support to achieve flourishing, confident and positive lives.

"Her dedicated team continue the hard work of our Love4Life charity; they and the charity are her greatest legacy."

As well as his jail sentence, Widdowson was also disqualified from driving for four years and nine months.