Police officer killed pensioner in horror crash whereas on 999 name about choking child

Northumbria Police officer Mark Roberts was jailed for two years and three months after his car crashed into a motorbike, killing 74-year-old Muriel Pinkney as he responded to an emergency call

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A police officer who sped through the streets in response to a call about a choking baby has been imprisoned after his car collided with a motorbike, resulting in a woman’s death.

PC Mark Roberts of Northumbria Police was answering a top-priority emergency call when his marked vehicle crashed into an elderly couple, Ronald and Muriel Pinkney, as they rode their motorbike in Gateshead, North East, on July 8, 2022.

The court heard that Roberts, from Darlington, was driving at 43mph in a 30mph zone near the MetroCentre. As he neared the traffic lights, he was travelling around 25mph when his car hit the couple, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Mrs Pinkney, aged 74, tragically sustained fatal head and neck injuries in the dreadful collision which took place on a 30mph stretch of road near the MetroCentre. Mr Pinkney also suffered injuries, including a brain bleed and multiple fractures.

Despite a plea from the couple’s daughter not to imprison him, the officer has since been prosecuted and found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving, reports Birmingham Live, reports the Mirror.

Roberts was arrested following the crash and responded ‘no comment’ to questions during his police interview but provided a prepared statement.

In it, he stated that the ambulance service had requested help regarding a choking five-week-old baby, suggesting that paramedics did not believe they could reach the patient before the police.

Roberts recounted how he took his marked vehicle from Whickham police station, switched on his blue lights and sirens, altering the alert tone occasionally, as he navigated through traffic and red lights.

Just before the crash, the officer noticed a white van make an emergency stop. He said: “I couldn’t see anything else before travelling towards the junction. The next thing I recall is there was a bang and both airbags deployed and I hit the windscreen, which knocked me out for a few seconds.”

He then spotted two people lying on the ground with crash helmets on. Roberts lost consciousness again and received treatment in an ambulance before being taken to hospital. He stated: “I believe this was a tragic accident.”

The jury heard that Northumbria Police’s roadcraft guidance emphasised that risk-taking, even for a ‘noble cause’, was not justified. In mitigation, the court heard that Roberts was ‘heartbroken’ by the ordeal.

The court learned of his ‘remarkable life of public service’, joining the police following an Army career that included service in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday (April 7).

Delivering the sentence, Judge Francis Laird KC, said: “In my judgement only a custodial sentence can be justified for these offences.”

The judge informed Roberts that he was allowed to use exemptions from the speed limit and the prohibition on driving through red lights but that ‘these exemptions must be exercised cautiously and appropriately’.

“Your speed as you approached the junction was too high,” the judge stated. “You observed the junction was clear and you simply chose to drive through without stopping or at least reducing your speed to a point where you could stop should another motorist enter the junction.”

He continued: “The evidence suggests Ronald and Muriel Pinkney were visible to you when you approached the junction, however you were so focused on getting to your destination you failed to notice them.”

Roberts was also disqualified from driving for five years and one month.

The couple’s daughter, Dawn Hunter-Pinkney, expressed in a statement that the family ‘don’t blame the officer for what happened’.

She stated: “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.” She added: “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.”

Ms Hunter-Pinkney revealed her parents had been inseparable and her dad had been ‘devastated’ by his wife’s death, transitioning from doing everything with her to ‘doing almost nothing’.

She said: “My dad used to be very active and fit, now he rarely leaves the house.”

Roberts has been suspended by the force. Assistant Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, Andy Hill, stated: “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.” He added: “Each and every day we respond to emergencies and thankfully tragedies of this nature are extremely rare.

“Officers are highly trained and supported to help ensure they keep both themselves and the public safe. Regrettably, on this occasion the standard of driving fell short of what it is expected which has led to the most devastating of outcomes.”