Police Officer Jailed Over Fatal Crash During Emergency Response

PC Mark Roberts, 57, has received a custodial sentence of two years and three months following a fatal road traffic collision in Gateshead. The incident, which took place in July 2022, saw Roberts drive through a red light at speed while responding to a Grade One emergency call concerning a five-week-old baby struggling to breathe. His police vehicle struck a motorbike near the Metrocentre, ridden by Ronald and Muriel Pinkney.

Victim’s Family Express Forgiveness

Muriel Pinkney, 74, tragically succumbed to her injuries days after the collision. Her husband sustained serious injuries, including a bleed on the brain and multiple fractures. Despite their immense grief, the Pinkney family, through their daughter Dawn Hunter, expressed that they did not wish for Roberts to be jailed, acknowledging the circumstances of his driving and his subsequent apology. They conveyed understanding for his actions while on duty.

Court’s Rationale for Sentencing

Teesside Crown Court heard that Roberts, from Darlington, had admitted careless driving but was ultimately convicted of the more serious charge of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving. Judge Francis Laird KC acknowledged Roberts’s exemplary service in both the Army and the police force, but highlighted that as a highly trained officer, he made “serious errors.” The judge stated that while Roberts was entitled to use exemptions for speed limits and traffic lights during an emergency, he failed to exercise the requisite caution and care, approaching the junction at an excessive speed. Furthermore, the court found concerning Roberts's perception that emergency responders “commonly fail to comply with the obligation to treat red lights as a give way junction,” suggesting a deliberate disregard for training and law.

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Hill of Northumbria Police extended sincere condolences to the Pinkney family, acknowledging their dignity throughout the process. He confirmed that misconduct proceedings against Roberts are also underway. Roberts has also been banned from driving for five years and one month and must pass an extended driving test.