Caerphilly: Gran killed by driver while posting Christmas cards

Charlotte Symons pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving

A driver has been jailed after she drove over a roundabout and killed a grandmother who was out posting Christmas cards.

Charlotte Symons, 40, killed Sandra Chamberlain, 67, after hitting her with a Nissan Navara in Markham, Caerphilly.

Mrs Chamberlain was taken to hospital following the incident in December 2022 and later died of her injuries.

On Tuesday Symons was jailed for four years and eight months at Cardiff Crown Court.

Symons, a mother-of-two from Blackwood, Caerphilly county, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was banned from driving for nine years and four months.

The court heard she failed to brake as she returned from a shopping trip when she struck pedestrian Mrs Chamberlain.

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"Much-loved" Mrs Chamberlain had popped to the shops to post Christmas cards when she was hit by Symons' car.

Symons was also out shopping and was on her way home when she cut across the mini-roundabout.

Footage played to the court showed Mrs Chamberlain being knocked to the ground and Symons jumping from the vehicle saying: "I didn't see her."

Gareth James, prosecuting, said Mrs Chamberlain was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries but died eight days later on 17 December, 2022.

"Mrs Chamberlain was wearing a bright red jacket, she would have been clearly visible to other road users," he said.

"She walked beyond the mini-roundabout before crossing over the road. She had almost crossed to the other side of the road when she was struck by the defendant's vehicle and run over."

Sandra Chamberlain's family said there were "no words to describe what losing Sandra has done to us"

He said instead of going the right way around the mini-roundabout, Symons cut across the road and entered the mini-roundabout on the wrong side of it.

"She then struck and ran down Mrs Chamberlain, who was in the opposite carriageway to the one the defendant should have been in, had she have been driving on the right side of the road," Mr James said.

Mr James said Symons was arrested and initially told police she had gone around the roundabout the right way.

She was later shown CCTV and admitted she had undercut the roundabout on several previous occasions as she had become "complacent".

"Had the defendant driven the correct way around the roundabout this collision would not have happened," Mr James said.

In a victim impact statement, Mrs Chamberlain's daughter, Stacey Hoskin, said: "We know the defendant didn't set out to hurt anyone that day, but as drivers it is our responsibility to ensure the road is clear before we manoeuvre.

"There are lots of ifs and buts about that day, but the biggest one is if she had followed the basic rules of driving we wouldn't be here today, and my mam still would.

"She went to the shop and to post some Christmas cards. Six weeks and four days later she came back to us in a coffin."

James Findon, defending, said: "If the defendant could turn back the clock she would."

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: "Anyone viewing the recordings of what happened on that day will be at a loss to understand why you failed to see Mrs Chamberlain.

"Your dangerous driving, brief though it was, has caused the death of a much-loved wife, mother and grandmother."