Female pensioner, 89, walks free from court after mowing down six pedestrians including two toddlers in shopping centre carnage
Margaret Heslop panicked while driving and planted her foot on the accelerator instead of turning right, the court heard
AN 89-year-old pensioner has walked free from court after admitting mowing down six pedestrians - two of them toddlers - when she lost control of her car.
Margaret Heslop crashed into the pedestrians in a shopping centre in Guildford, Surrey, in October last year.
The court heard she panicked and pressed the accelerator causing her car to rampage into people instead of turning right. Some pedestrians suffered serious injuries.
She was given an eight week jail sentence, suspended for six months.
Her 93-year-old husband Ian was sat helplessly alongside her in their family Volkswagen Polo as the shoppers were knocked down.
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The court heard Heslop had led an "impeccable life" as a teacher, occupational therapist and carer for her husband.
Jerzy Lesiak suffered a broken pelvis while his wife Danuta had multiple fractures in both legs. Another shopper had a haematoma after hitting her head.
Matilda Mitchell, 2, landed on her face when she was struck by Mrs Heslop's car while being pushed in a toy car, rented from the shopping centre, by her grandparents.
In a letter penned to the court by Mrs Heslop's son, who lives in Australia, described his mother as having "crumbled physically" as a result of the crash.
Prosecuting at Guildford Magistrates' Court Craig Warsama revealed there were no mechanical defects with Mrs Heslop's silver VW.
"At around 10.30am, close to there southern entrance to the Friary Shopping Centre, Mrs Heslop was driving down the road where she was due to take a right turn but ploughed straight through a pedestrian area and into several members of the public," he said.
"Police constable Carly Longstaff believed this defendant was driving the vehicle down the road, panicked and pressed the accelerator so she went straight on.
"She travelled 40 yards before coming to a stop and she didn't know what had happened but had lost control."
The court heard that Mrs Heslop was very remorseful and that she had sent her best wishes to the injured parties.
George and Matilda Mitchell's mother, Anna, still requires psychiatric help following the crash which left her mother, father-in-law and her own children injured. She has been told to keep an eye on her children's development in the wake of the accident, the magistrates were told.
In a statement she told the court: "My parents suffered multiple injuries and broken bones. My father was flown to hospital with head injuries.
"They both spent many weeks in hospital and my mother might well never recover fully from her leg injuries. My two children were protected by the robust toy cars they were in.
"My daughter landed on her face and had a scan to make sure there was no internal damage."
She stated she was fearful of an accident like this affecting her children again in the future.
Pensioner Mrs Heslop arrived at court using a walking frame due to her suffering from arthritis. She told the magistrates that she would not be driving again when her two-year ban expired.
Naomi North, defending Mrs Heslop, told the court her client is currently a carer for her 93-year-old husband who suffers from dementia.
"This incident, which lasted 10 or so seconds, has changed many lives forever but Mrs Heslop did not set out that day to hurt anybody. She had been feeling fit and well and had been to the gym with her husband in the morning.
"Mrs Heslop does not know what happened that day and she initially thought it was mechanical difficulties. She accepts she sadly doesn't know.
"She has taken it all very seriously and she surrendered her licence after the accident.
"Witnesses saw Mrs Heslop moving the steering wheel frantically and that leads to this notion she didn't intend to hurt anybody."
Mrs Heslop had no criminal convictions or points on her licence before the accident in North Street, Guildford, Surrey, last year.
Miss North added: "She is 89 and she has led an impeccable life and she had no points on her licence.
"She has always helped people and charities. To say she is devastated would be an understatement and she is always talking about the impact on the people involved."
Sentencing Mrs Heslop to eight weeks in prison, suspended for six months, presiding magistrate Howard Miller said: "This is a very difficult case.
"On one hand you have an elderly lady with a clean licence who has pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and she has great remorse.
"On the other hand we have a serious road traffic crash in a busy town centre resulting in injuries to a significant amount of people."
Mrs Heslop, of Guildown Road, Guildford, was also ordered to pay £85 in court costs and an £80 victim surcharge after admitting one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
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