Jail for driver who ran over much-loved mum near Halifax then torched car to hide evidence

A jury at Bradford Crown Court today found 40–year-old Kiel Sanderson guilty of causing the death of 48-year-old mum-of-two Donna Smith following an incident outside her home in Hillcrest Drive, Queensbury, in August last year.

Sanderson, of Calderstone Avenue, Bradford, had already pleaded guilty at the start of his trial to a separate charge of perverting the course of justice by setting fire to his Seat Ibiza on Soaper Lane in Shelf minutes after the fatal collision.

The jury heard how Sanderson had driven to his girlfriend’s home, also on Hillcrest Drive, that afternoon, but he had then been assaulted and his car windows smashed during a heated and violent argument in the road.

Ms Smith had been standing at the rear of the Seat when Sanderson “suddenly and quickly reversed” car running over her and causing her extensive crush injuries.

The court heard that Ms Smith went into cardiac arrest and despite being revived by ambulance staff she died in hospital two days later.

The Seat also collided with a telegraph pole and the jury were shown CCTV footage of Sanderson driving his badly damaged car away from the scene.

The car was later set on fire on Soaper Lane before Sanderson handed himself in to police.

Today the jury took less than three hours to return their unanimous guilty verdict on the causing death by dangerous driving charge and prosecutor Paul Mitchell read out moving victim impact statements from Ms Smith’s two sons and her mother.

They described how their whole world had changed following her tragic death and how Ms Smith had been “their anchor”.

Her mum Sharon Swaine said her daughter’s death had shattered the family and no charge, no sentence and no legal process would ever repair the damage that had been done.

She said losing a child was something that no parent could ever recover from and her life would never be the same.

Barrister Katherine Robinson, for Sanderson, said he was a father-of-three and he had been “devastated” by what he had done.

She said he did express his remorse through her.

Judge Sophie McKone said Donna Smith had been a much-loved mother and daughter.

“She was sociable, fun and a hardworking mother,” said the judge.

She said Ms Smith had been the anchor of her sons’ lives and her death had had a profound impact.

“Her mother has suffered the trauma of having to bury her own child. No mother should ever have to do that,” said the judge.

“Donna Smith has left a hole in the lives of those who loved her and that will never be filled.”

The judge said Sanderson had been involved in an altercation, but instead of driving away he had “goaded” the people involved and his car was surrounded.

She accepted that he had been assaulted and his car damaged, but she said he had then reversed without knowing what was behind him.

“I am satisfied that when you drove away you knew full well that you had hit someone and that was why you desperately tried to get rid of the evidence,” she added.

“Despite the fact that you had a trial I am satisfied that the remorse expressed through your counsel is genuine.”

Judge McKone jailed Sanderson for six years and four months for the causing death by dangerous driving and imposed an additional 10-month sentence for the perverting the course of justice offence.

He was also banned from driving for a total period of eight years and seven months and he must also pass an extended re-test.