Former Darlington police officer who caused fatal crash during 999 call to be freed from jail
Judges at the Court of Appeal in London has reduced his sentence
A former police officer from Darlington who was jailed back in April for hitting and killing a motorbike passenger in Gateshead will be released from jail after appeal judges reduced his sentence.
Teesside Crown Court previously heard that PC Mark Roberts, who was part of Northumbria Police, was answering a grade-one emergency call about a choking baby when he went through a red light which had been on “stop” for six seconds and collided with Ronald and Muriel Pinkney in his marked car.
Mrs Pinkney suffered fatal head and neck injuries in the crash in July 2022 on a 30mph stretch of road near the MetroCentre in Gateshead.
Roberts, from Darlington, was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and jailed for 27 months in April, but Mrs Pinkney’s family said they “did not want him to go to prison for doing his job”.
He was also convicted of causing Mr Pinkney, who suffered a bleed on the brain and multiple fractures, serious injury by dangerous driving.
Today, Roberts appealed against the length of his sentence at the Court of Appeal in London.
His barrister Luke Ponte KC said in written submissions the sentence was “manifestly excessive” and the judge did not “reflect the exceptional mitigation”, including that he was responding to an emergency and had a “lifetime of remarkable public service”.
At the end of the hearing, three appeal judges ruled the sentence should be reduced and suspended, meaning Roberts can be released from custody.
In their judgment, Lady Justice Andrews, sitting with Mr Justice Jay and Mrs Justice Thornton, said it was an “exceptional case”.
Lady Justice Andrews said Roberts had been a serving police officer who had responded to many incidents over his career.
She continued: “This was not a case of prolonged dangerous driving.”
The court was told there is no real risk Roberts will reoffend and that custody had a significant impact on his family, including his disabled daughter.
“We have concluded the sentence can and should be suspended,” Lady Justice Andrews said.
Roberts, who appeared at the hearing by video-link from prison, appeared emotional and could be seen wiping his eyes as the judges gave their decision.
The judges quashed the original sentence of 27 months in prison and imposed a two-year sentence, suspended for 18 months.
During Roberts’s sentencing, Mr and Mrs Pinkney’s daughter said the family “don’t blame the officer for what happened” and said they did not want Roberts to be imprisoned.
In a victim impact statement read during the sentencing hearing, Dawn Hunter-Pinkney said: “For a long time we were angry but the more we hear about why the officer was driving the way he was, the more we understand.”
The statement continued: “We don’t want him to go to prison for doing his job.
“We do accept this is a very tragic accident with a very tragic outcome, but sending the officer to prison won’t bring mam back.”
Northumbria Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Andy Hill said after the sentencing: “I reiterate my previous comments in recognising that no words will make the pain of Mr Pinkney, his family and anyone impacted by this tragic incident, any easier.
“On behalf of Northumbria Police, I wish to express my sincere condolences for your loss and our thoughts very much continue to be with you at this time.”
Roberts was dismissed without notice from the force following a misconduct hearing in April where there was a finding of gross misconduct.