Van driver jailed after head-on crash which killed soldier in Lincolnshire
A promising soldier who survived two tours of duty in Afghanistan lost her life when a white van driver hit her car head-on – just seconds after using his mobile phone to update his Facebook page, a court was told today .
Plumber Paul Mould crossed double white lines causing the collision which killed servicewoman Stephanie Armsby, who had just returned to the UK after her latest tour of duty in Afghanistan.
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Lincoln Crown Court
Lincoln Crown Court was told that Mould spent the hours before the crash celebrating his 26th birthday with his family and was on the way to visit his girlfriend when he went on to the wrong side of the road and struck Lance Corporal Armsby's Nissan Micra car on the B1188 at Nocton Rise near Lincoln.
Lance Corporal Armsby, 24, swerved in a bid to avoid a collision but her car was hit head-on and she died instantly from multiple injuries.
Robert Underwood, prosecuting, said: "At 16.45 Mr Mould, having received a message in relation to his birthday, replied on Facebook.
"At 16.47, a minute or so before impact, he posted a message on his Facebook site."
Mould's post "Thank you for all my birthday messages" was made less than two minutes before the emergency services received the first 999 call relating to the fatal crash.
Mr Underwood said: "He clearly had been using his mobile phone in very close proximity to the time of the crash."
Investigators were subsequently unable to establish whether Mould was actually on Facebook at the time of the collision.
Mould said he received a message while he was driving and then stopped at the side of the road to update Facebook before continuing on his journey.
The court heard Mould, who ran his own plumbing business, had previously received a fixed penalty ticket for driving while using a mobile phone.
Mould, 26, of Spring Court, Dunston, Lincolnshire, admitted causing death by dangerous driving on November 14 last year. He was jailed for 21 months and banned from driving for three years.
Judge Michael Heath told him: "Stephanie's family are devastated that she lost her life. No sentence can bring her back and this sentence is not designed in any way to put a value on her life because her life was entirely and utterly priceless."
In a joint statement given outside the court, Stephanie's parents Steve and Diane said: "We would like to thank all the police officers involved in bringing this case to court, especially the collision investigation team for all their hard work.
"We would like to thank PC James Bennett who has been our family liaison officer throughout this case.
"He has kept us very well informed and has been a great help.
"We would also like to thank the Ministry of Defence for all of their help and support throughout this whole sorry affair, especially Major Phil Churn and Squadron Leader Matthew Phipps both have been a great help to us both.
"The sentence passed today will never be enough for the amount of pain and suffering he has caused us and our family.
"When the sentence has been served he can resume a normal life, thanks to him our daughter us and our family never can."
9 Comments
by lincolnlass23
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 12:01PM
“because none of you have used a phone at the wheel at any point whilst driving have you, he made a mistake that claimed a life an awful mistake,yes he can live a normal life when he gets out- you think there wont be a day goes by that he doesn't think about what he did that guilt laying heavy on his heart.”
by Gnome_Chomsky
Sunday, October 30 2011, 11:23PM
“Colin - You could see what the offender was doing before the offence? Good luck with that prosecution. Keith, your thougts?”
by ColinLincs
Sunday, October 30 2011, 8:55PM
“Less than 2 years for manslaughter. Is this because we don't have a crime of vehicular manslaughter? My wife and I were almost turned into pulp this week by a truck driver who was texting while driving and swerved his big rig onto our side of the road. All this talk isn't good enough. The Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership can put up as many signs as they want. This makes no difference to the dangerous behaviour of drivers addicted to mobile phones, texting and social networking. These murdering scum need to know they will pay the price for their actions! Of course this makes no difference to the terrible ordeal that this young lady's family are going through. Our love and sympathy are with you.”
by SS29252
Saturday, October 29 2011, 11:58PM
“Well said Gnome_Chomsky, my sentiments exactly. Mr Peat claims that,'this guy did not intend to crash', no-one intends to crash, but if you Facebook while driving you are intentionally not in control of your car - you might as well be reading a book while driving.
'Drivers keep our economy running at their own cost', no they don't, they add their costs to whatever they charge for their services, just like any other business.
'Without them the economy would collapse literally overnight and many thousands more would die as a result.' Peat regularly uses this spurious argument to justify drivers exceeding speed limits. It's a piece of moral relativism that doesn't make a sound argument. As for intentional murderers getting off with less than 10 years, has he not heard that Vincent Tabak has been given a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years?”
by Gnome_Chomsky
Saturday, October 29 2011, 10:34PM
“How unusual for Sedgepeat to spring to the defence of motorists who do wrong. Mould admitted causing death by dangerous driving. He therefore has said that his actions led directly to the death of another person.
The argument about not having psychiatric tests before you drive does not hold water. You need to pass a test to drive a car, but not to carry a knife. If Mould had stabbed this woman at random he could have expected a longer sentence. That his weapon of choice was a van does not make the death of LCpl Armsby any more acceptable.
Nobody has said that all motorists are 'the enemy of the State', but rick29 makes a fair point: that Paul Mould made a conscious choice to act in such a way that he caused the avoidable death of another.
Let's continue the discussion on that basis, shall we?”
by Sedgepeat
Saturday, October 29 2011, 10:08AM
“Rick 29 displays exactly the nonsensical attitude to drivers that get this debate nowhere. Even intentional murderers get off with less than 10 years and this guy did not intend to crash. He is an idiot and deserves jail. But our society demands and encourages any Tom, Dick & Harry, for economic expediency, to drive and operate heavy machinery among other humans in a way that would simply not be tolerated for other transport or activity. Most who drive really are not up to the standards of airline pilots or train drivers and the test for it is rudimentary with no psychiatric tests at all. Having set up this scenario we & society want to jail people when it all goes wrong?
Drivers keep our economy running at their own cost, worry and responsibility. Without them the economy would collapse literally overnight and many thousands more would die as a result. So they are not the enemy of the State. Let's start the discussion on that basis shall we?
Yes people who use phones whilst driving do need heavy punishment and long bans but, unless attempted murder, or murder is established, then Rick 29 has changed the topic!”
by rick29
Saturday, October 29 2011, 9:27AM
“wow what a great way to murder someone you dont like, just run over them with a car and then you only get 2 yrs inside if your unlucky compared to the 10-20 yrs if you kill them by hand. anyone see the stupidity in the justice here.
If drivers who kill by driving started getting 10yrs inside and a nice big heft fine then they might start thinking then.”
by Whiley45
Saturday, October 29 2011, 8:58AM
“Social networking sites have no place inside a car while it is being driven. Driving today requires the utmost concentration at all times without other nonsensical distractions.”
by Andy612
Saturday, October 29 2011, 7:57AM
“The judges comment is sound but I do feel a 3 year driving ban is inadequate - this guy should never be allowed to drive again.”