Wartime codebreaker died after car hit pole

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A Bletchley Park codebreaker was killed after the driver of the car she was travelling in lost control and crashed into a telegraph pole, a court was told.

Adrienne Gurr was out celebrating her 93rd birthday with her close friends Anthony and Margaret Waddington in June last year.

The trio had gone to the Riverside restaurant in Lamberhurst and were returning to Ms Gurr’s home in Tenterden when Anthony Waddington lost control of his Peugeot and plunged into a ditch in Cranbrook Road.

Police, fire crews and ambulance staff were called to the scene after car flipped over and caused a telegraph pole to snap. Paramedics tried to revive Ms Gurr, but she died the next day at King’s College Hospital in London.

Police then charged the wealthy 78-year-old landlord Anthony Waddington with causing death by careless driving.

Last week he appeared before Folkestone magistrates where he admitted the charge and described his sadness at being responsible for the crash.

Prosecutor Paul Edwards said Ms Gurr had been sitting in the front passenger seat, with Mrs Waddington in the back along the national speed limit road. He told the court: “The car was seen by witnesses steering side to side prior to leaving the road into the grass verge. The car behind tried to alert the driver by sounding their horn to prevent an accident.

“When officers went to the William Harvey Hospital to check on Mr Waddington’s welfare, he was unable to offer any initial explanation other than he may have passed out or may have nodded off.”

Waddington, of Fosten Lane in Biddenden, has been a diabetic for the past 25 years and had drunk a glass of wine at the meal and had a top up.

But he was unsure if this had made him drowsy behind the wheel on the return journey later in the afternoon.

Defence solicitor David Barton described the case as “desperately tragic” and explained how the trio had been firm friends for the past 35 years after meeting through playing bridge.

Ms Gurr had no immediate family, and often went on cruises with the Waddingtons for her holidays.

Magistrates banned Waddington from getting behind the wheel for five years, and imposed a suspended prison sentence of 120 days, which will last for two years.

They also ordered him to pay £85 for court costs and £115 for a victim surcharge, which he agreed to pay within 28 days.