Erica Buenor, 35, was handed a 10-month suspended sentence and 90 hours of unpaid work after admitting causing the death of black cab driver Arthur Pountney, 77, by careless driving
A “diligent” new mum has narrowly avoided a prison sentence after a court heard she caused the death of a 77-year-old taxi driver in a road accident due to sleep deprivation.
Wedding caterer Erica Buenor, 35, pleaded guilty to causing the death of black cab driver Arthur Pountney by careless driving and was given a 10-month suspended sentence on Monday.
The Old Bailey heard that the mother-of-three had been breastfeeding and working into the early hours as a wedding caterer the day before the tragic incident. The crash occurred when Buenor was behind the wheel of a rented Peugeot van on Kidbrooke Park Road, Eltham, south London, just after 2.20am on June 9, 2023.
The van “drifted” across the road into the path of oncoming traffic, partially colliding head-on with Mr Pountney’s taxi, the court was told.
Mr Pountney suffered a broken shoulder, bruising and fractures to his ribs and sternum, and tragically succumbed to a fatal heart attack in hospital two days later.
A collision investigator determined that the taxi was visible to Buenor for 13 seconds prior to impact and attributed the accident to a “lapse of concentration” on her part.
In sentencing, Judge Rebecca Trowler KC told Buenor: “You accept that the collision must have been a result of a failure to maintain concentration.
“You had in fact been working all that day and into the night at a wedding catered by your family business which you ran with your sister.
“Your sleep the day and night before would have been interrupted by the preparation for that wedding that following day and also because you were breastfeeding at the time.”
The judge concluded the crash occurred due to “a substantial lapse in concentration” as Bueno was “deprived of adequate sleep and rest”.
Judge Trowler stated Mr Pountney’s death had brought about the “very deepest distress and devastation” to his family. His widow Irene has since passed away, having experienced a swift decline in health following the loss of her husband.
Addressing relatives present in court, Judge Trowler remarked: “The pain experienced by all members of his family here today is palpable.”
When determining the sentence, the judge considered that Buenor is mother to three children, with her youngest being just three months old, and had no prior convictions.
She continued: “You are someone who achieved in education. You have worked hard during your adult life. I take account of the fact you have expressed remorse and victim empathy.”
Buenor, from Crawley, West Sussex, received a 10-month prison term suspended for 18 months, plus 90 hours of unpaid work.
She was also banned from driving for four years and ordered to pay costs of £1,630.
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