A PENSIONER who killed her best friend in a crash was spared prison after a "remarkable" plea for compassion from her victim's grieving family.

One relative of great-grandmother Linda Pyers told a judge: "She has been sentenced to life and I don't want any more suffering towards her."

The Northern Echo:

Jean Barnett, 79, above, arriving at court on Thursday. Picture: North News

Mrs Pyers, 71, was a back-seat passenger in Jean Barnett's Toyota Avensis when the 79-year-old driver went the wrong way down a slip road to the A174 Parkway on the outskirts of Middlesbrough.

As she was trying to rectify the "catastrophic" mistake on the dual-carriageway, Barnett turned the hatchback into the path of a Volkswagen Transporter van, whose driver had "little or no chance" of avoiding a collision.

Members of Mrs Pyers's family made moving impact statements, which were read to Teesside Crown Court, and described by Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, as "very moving and remarkable".

Her daughter Joanne Pyers said: “Yes, Jean made a mistake and Jean acknowledges that and has never denied that.

“She has to live with the knowledge that as a result of a tragic mistake she caused the death of her best friend.

“Jean has been sentenced to life. I don’t want to add any more suffering towards her.”

Another daughter, Debra Lane, said she felt sorry for Barnett and could only imagine her trauma.

“She’s lost one of her best friends and I personally feel that she’s suffered enough,” she said.

Prosecutor Nick Dry said Barnett turned left on to the exit slip road from the A174 eastbound, against no-entry signs, just before 7pm on January 26 on her way to a birthday celebration with Mrs Pyers and another friend, aged 81.

She drove steadily and passed oncoming vehicles. One driver had to drive on to the hard shoulder to avoid her then flashed headlights and waved her hands trying to alert Barnett to the peril ahead.

Barnett realised her mistake and crossed chevrons trying to get on to the dual carriageway.

Moments later, her car was struck while it was “almost stationary” across the road, facing the central reservation barrier.

The van driver swerved and braked hard but could not avoid a collision with the Avensis which had “appeared from nowhere”, said Mr Dry.

Mrs Pyers was unconscious, suffered chest injuries and could not be resuscitated at hospital.

The court heard moving statements from children of Mrs Pyers, a mother-of-six with 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, telling of their enduring heartbreak.

Barnett, of Sunnyside, Coulby Newham, admitted causing death by dangerous driving, her first conviction.

She was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was banned from driving for ten years, and must take an extended retest before getting back behind the wheel.

But Judge Bourne-Arton told her: "Essentially, I do not think you should be driving again."

Andrew Nuttall, mitigating, said Barnett had been in shock ever since she learned of the “huge loss” of her friend, with whom she had enjoyed Christmas and holidays.

He said the sentiments expressed by Mrs Pyers’ daughters were accurate: “The defendant does have a life sentence. This is not something that is going to go away.

“It’s a mistake that she’s going to have to live with, but she’s struggling. She’ll have none of it. She doesn’t feel sorry for herself at all.

“When you speak to her it’s always about the family that is suffering, the loss of her friend. Always, always about that. This is a decent lady.”

He told how Barnett, a widow who used to work for the police’s criminal records department, never had a problem with her driving before her short-lived and tragic error.

He added she had serious medical problems and was “terrified” about having open heart surgery in a few weeks.

Mr Nuttall said: “No one would begrudge this lady receiving a sentence that would not result in an immediate custodial sentence.”

The judge said: “The last few months must have been hell for her," adding that she had shown  “utter remorse” for two catastrophic and “almost instinctive” mistakes.

He said no sentence could compensate Mrs Pyers’ family for their loss.
He told Barnett: “I am sure that in the past you have been a careful driver.

“It is quite clear you should not have gone up that slip road. There were two no-entry signs, clear for you to see. You just simply failed to see them.”

He said she panicked and made her second mistake trying to retrace her steps.

“Society would expect the court to exercise a degree of mercy,” he added.

“In very moving and remarkable statements, the family have urged me to show compassion upon you.”