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M1 driver jailed for causing death of PC Mark Goodlad | M1 driver jailed for causing death of PC Mark Goodlad |
(35 minutes later) | |
A lorry driver has been jailed for causing the death of a police officer when his vehicle strayed on to the hard shoulder of a motorway. | A lorry driver has been jailed for causing the death of a police officer when his vehicle strayed on to the hard shoulder of a motorway. |
PC Mark Goodlad, 41, of Goole, East Yorkshire, was helping a stranded motorist when he was killed on the M1 near Wakefield in October 2011. | PC Mark Goodlad, 41, of Goole, East Yorkshire, was helping a stranded motorist when he was killed on the M1 near Wakefield in October 2011. |
Andrew Abernethy, 45, of Rembrandt Walk, Oldham, previously admitted causing death by dangerous driving. | Andrew Abernethy, 45, of Rembrandt Walk, Oldham, previously admitted causing death by dangerous driving. |
A judge at Leeds Crown Court jailed him for two years and nine months. | A judge at Leeds Crown Court jailed him for two years and nine months. |
PC Goodlad had been an officer with West Yorkshire Police for 10 years. He left a widow, Helen, and a teenage son, Ben. | PC Goodlad had been an officer with West Yorkshire Police for 10 years. He left a widow, Helen, and a teenage son, Ben. |
In a statement, Mrs Goodlad said: "We all know that Mr Abernethy did not set out that day with the intention of taking a life. | |
"But it's without doubt that he is solely responsible for the death of my husband Mark. | |
"Mark wasn't just a part of my life, he was my life. There are no words to describe how much I love and miss him. | "Mark wasn't just a part of my life, he was my life. There are no words to describe how much I love and miss him. |
"He never overlooked an opportunity to help people because that's why he joined the force and that's where he found himself that day, at the side of a lady needing help. | |
"Mark died doing what he did best. He was a hero at work and a hero at home to his family." | "Mark died doing what he did best. He was a hero at work and a hero at home to his family." |
Eye pain | |
After veering on to the hard shoulder, Abernethy's lorry trapped PC Goodlad between his police car and another vehicle. | After veering on to the hard shoulder, Abernethy's lorry trapped PC Goodlad between his police car and another vehicle. |
Sharon Burgess, the woman PC Goodlad stopped to help, suffered minor injuries but the court heard she also suffered severe psychological problems following the crash. | |
Last month, when Abernethy pleaded guilty, the court heard how it had still not been established why the crash happened. | |
Prosecutors said the incident showed classic signs of being a "sleep-related" collision and the lorry had travelled down the hard shoulder for up to 10 seconds. | |
However investigators found no evidence Abernethy had worked excessive hours or not slept. | |
The court heard that the defendant maintained he was distracted because he had a pain in his eye. | The court heard that the defendant maintained he was distracted because he had a pain in his eye. |
Judge Scott Wolstenholme said with no evidence to support the prosecution's theory, he had to sentence on the basis of the defendant's version of events. | |
He told Abernethy: "You hadn't been paying attention to the road for a considerable period of time in driving terms, all the while, trundling along in that enormous truck at 50mph." | |
The judge said it would have been "obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving in that way would be dangerous". | |
Abernethy was also banned from driving for three years and ordered to take an extended test on his release. |