Overview
- PC Mark Roberts received a 27-month prison term Tuesday at Teesside Crown Court, plus a five-year-one-month driving ban that requires an extended retest.
- A jury in February found the 57-year-old guilty of causing the death of Muriel Pinkney by dangerous driving and causing serious injury to her husband, Ronald.
- The July 8, 2022 collision near Gateshead’s Metrocentre happened after Roberts drove through a red light on a top-priority call about a choking baby, and the judge ruled his approach speed was too high.
- Investigators said the police car was about 43 mph as it neared the junction and around 25 mph at impact, and the crash killed 74-year-old Muriel and left Ronald with multiple fractures.
- The Pinkney family asked the court not to jail Roberts, yet the judge said only custody was justified, and Northumbria Police says a misconduct hearing is due this month after the IOPC’s referral led to CPS charges.