Driver distracted by phone killed farmer in crash

A farmer was fatally injured when a driver using her mobile phone smashed into the back of his quad bike, a court has heard.

Michael Armstrong, 58, was on his way to care for his elderly father after work when Ami Dronsfield, 36, hit him on the A697 in Northumberland in November 2024, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

His wife, who was quickly alerted to the crash and saw the "horrific" scene of "carnage", said he was her "soulmate" and Dronsfield had left their family "broken".

Dronsfield, who was on her way to a hair appointment, was jailed for three years and two months after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.

The farmer was travelling south near Whittingham when Dronsfield's VW Golf ploughed into the back of his Honda all-terrain vehicle just after 17:00 GMT on 24 November 2024, prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said.

Dronsfield, who was driving to a salon in Alnwick from her home in Glanton, had already overtaken two vehicles with one witness estimating she reached 80mph on the 60mph road, the court heard, although her speed was disputed.

Other drivers stopped at the scene of the crash and found Dronsfield "in shock" and on the phone to emergency services, the court heard.

She was heard to say "I need to contact the hairdresser" and "oh my God what if I killed him", Wardlaw said.

Her victim had suffered catastrophic injuries and spent 11 "terrible" days on life support in Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary before he died, the court heard.

Dronsfield's phone was found to have been used twice during the drive, including to access Snapchat for the seven seconds immediately before the crash, Wardlaw said.

Mr Armstrong's wife of 28 years told the court the "brutal and senseless" death of her "beloved" husband had been "devastating".

She said he had left their home that evening with his usual goodbye of "right I'm off, I'll see you soon", little knowing they were to be his final words.

Minutes later the couple's son got a call from another farmer telling them there had been a crash nearby, prompting them to rush to the scene, the court heard.

"What we came upon was beyond horrific," she said, and that people were "in shock at the carnage" and among the wreckage lay her "beautiful husband".

Their son went through the "heartbreaking ordeal" of lifting his catastrophically injured father from where he lay, the court heard.

He died a day after his son's 21st birthday.

The victim's wife said she and her son were working hard to keep his farming "legacy" going but were "broken" by the loss of their "rock", while the community had been "robbed of a much-loved and respected man".

She said her husband was "gone" because of Dronsfield's actions and she had "robbed" him of life.

She said her life had been "turned upside down" and she had lost her "soulmate".

In mitigation, Sophie Dower said Dronsfield, a "devoted" single mother of two, had expressed "heartfelt remorse for the immeasurable pain" she had caused.

The court heard speed was not a factor in the crash and Dronsfield, who had worked for Northumberland County Council for 17 years, only used her phone for six seconds.

In a letter written to the court, Dronsfield said she had made a "huge mistake" and to know she had been responsible for someone losing their "fragile" life was a guilt she would "never overcome".

Judge Robert Adams said the case should "send a shudder down the spine" of any driver who used a phone.

He also said it should send a "stark" warning that even a "very short period of distraction" could have "fatal consequences".

He said that was especially the case at night when the light from the device's screen would make visibility of the road even worse, with Dronsfield having "failed to see Mr Armstrong".

He said Dronsfield, who had an"impeccable" driving record and no previous convictions, "didn't set out to harm anybody" but her actions had been "devastating".

She will serve no more than half of her sentence, equivalent to 19 months, in prison before being released on licence, the court heard.

She was also banned from driving for six years and seven months and will have to pass an extended test.

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