Mother-of-three, 36, killed woman while trying to make hands-free call on her way to pick up Covid-hit child from school, court hears

• Emma Farrelly crashed into another car as she tried to pull onto the A20 in Kent 
• A passenger in the other car, Joyce Wright, was seriously injured and later died
• ‘Distracted’ Farrelly had been attempting to make a hands-free call to her father

Mother-of-three, 36, killed woman while trying to make hands-free call on her way to pick up Covid-hit child from school, court hears

A mother-of-three killed another woman when she crashed into her car while trying to make a hands-free phone call.

Emma Farrelly, 36, was on her way to pick up one of her children, who had Covid, from school on July 8, 2021.

Driving along a village high street, she attempted to pull onto the A20 in Kent, but her Renault Scenic collided with a Ford Focus already travelling along the busy road.

Joyce Wright, a passenger in the other car, suffered serious injuries and died two weeks later in hospital.

Emma Farrelly (pictured) has admitted to causing death by careless driving after she crashed into another car on the A20 in Kent, killing a passenger in that car, Joyce Wright

It then emerged that Farrelly, from Charing, Kent had been trying to ring her father at the time of the crash.

Her barrister said it had been a hands-free call, but a prosecutor argued she was ‘distracted’ regardless.

Farrelly was charged with causing death by careless driving, which she admitted to at Folkestone Magistrates Court.

Prosecutor Julie Farbrace said: ‘She was driving the vehicle and trying to make a phone call and was distracted by that.

‘She drove to the junction and T-boned the car Joyce Wright was in.

‘Mrs Wright suffered great, significant injuries. She had some underlying health issues and died later.’

Ms Farbrace argued that the nature of the crash put it in the highest level of culpability for the charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Therefore, magistrates deemed their sentencing powers insufficient and sent the case to Canterbury Crown Court.

Farrelly (pictured), who was attempting to make a hands-free call to her father at the time of the crash, now faces a sentence of between two and four years behind bars.

Ms Farbrace explained: ‘The starting point for this category is two years’ custody so it needs to go to the crown court. The offence can carry up to four years’ custody.’

Russell Morling, defending, argued that Farrelly had not been talking on the phone at the time of the crash, but had in fact been trying to make a hands-free call to her father.

He said: ‘She couldn’t get through and the phone was in her back pocket. It was a new car.

‘She crossed over the junction and hit the car coming left to right.

‘She never intended to do that and was going to the school from the local area. It was near her children’s primary school in Egerton.

‘It was thought Mrs Wright was going to make a full recovery.’

Farrelly, who has no previous convictions, was bailed to be sentenced at a later date at Canterbury Crown Court.

She was also given an interim driving ban.

Source: Read Full Article