Woman who caused fatal crash released after winning appeal

Elaine May was jailed in January - but was released after Appeal Court judges suspended her sentence

A woman who caused a crash which killed a great grandmother in Fenland has been released from prison after winning her appeal against her sentence.

Glenis Hughes (76) was driving along the B1040 Ramsey Road on February 18 last year when Elaine May, driving a Nissan X-Trail swerved across the carriageway into the wrong lane, causing a head-on collision.

In January May (52), of Manor View, Whittlesey, was jailed for 24 weeks, was banned from driving for two years, with a 12-week extension to take into account the time she will spend behind bars, after admitting causing death by careless driving.

Last week May appeared at the Appeal Court in London, to appeal against the sentence given. Judges Lady Justice Simler, Mr Justice Knowles and His Honour Judge Kinch QC, the Recorder of Greenwich, agreed to reduce her sentence. May’s sentence is now for 20 weeks, suspended for two years, meaning she was released from prison. The two year driving ban still stands.

May herself was seriously injured in the crash, and spent a week in hospital.

PeterboroughCrownCourt heard that May and her husband had driven home to Whittlesey from the south of France the day before the crash, with the pair sharing the driving. While May herself only drove for three hours, the court was told she had stayed awake for the whole journey, arriving home at about 11pm.

She then got up at 6am on the day of the crash to take her son to university.

Judge Enright said tiredness was a factor in the crash, saying May may have ‘zoned out’ in the seconds leading up to the collision as a result.

The court was told the maximum sentence for death by careless driving is five years in prison, although in this case there were very few aggravating factors - alcohol or drugs were not involved, May had not been driving at speed or using a mobile phone, and she had a clean driving record.

She also pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, meaning she was entitled to a third off her sentence.

But Judge Enright added: “Nothing I can say will bring this lady back, or make things better for anyone.”

At the original hearing, the family of Mrs Hughes said they were devastated by what had happened.

Eight months to the day after the crash, they faced another tragedy, as her husband, John, also passed away.

At Peterborough Crown Court, their son, Martin, said John had passed away from a broken heart.

He said: “I saw him suffer for eight months after she was gone. I watched my dad die from a broken heart.

“I think we lost him on that day when mum died.”

Tragedy: Glenis and John