A drunk driver who caused the death of a much-loved primary school teacher has been sent to prison for more than five years.
Simon Allport, 44, was driving “fast and aggressive” before crashing into Amy Linton on July 14, 2020.
Both cars were traveling in opposite directions, Ms. Linton, 33, was returning home when Allport collided with her with such force, her Nissan Qashqai was driven over a hedge and in a nearby field.
However, Allport, who denied causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing, pleaded guilty to causing death by reckless driving.
Allport’s request from Ingleby Barwick was accepted and he was imprisoned in Teesside Crown Court on Friday afternoon.
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The court heard that Allport had a previous conviction for drunk driving in 2000 and a conviction for drunkenness and disorder in 1999, according to Teesside Live.
Prosecutor Soheil Khan said Allport drank two pints of camp with a friend at Master Cooper Pub, on Acklam Road in Middlesbrough, around 4pm on July 14.
He offered to give his friend a ride in his new sports car and the two drove to Coulby Newham in a BMW M4 Coupe. An A174 driver described hearing “loud noise before being passed by a BMW”; another driver near Stokesley said Allport was “flying” when she saw him “climb the near side”.
A Vauxhall Corsa driver said she screamed while on the Tantum Bridge and Allport was “hurt” to her, his car over the white line and in her lane. At 5:30 p.m., while Allport was negotiating a right turn after the bridge, he was a meter in Mrs. Linton’s lane.
The cars crashed and Mrs. Linton’s Nissan was forced to leave the road at an angle, turning 180 degrees before stopping in the field. Although two doctors stopped to help Ms. Linton, she was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Allport was found to have been driving under the influence of alcohol. He later told a nurse at Harrogate Hospital that he “should not tell the police” but was not wearing a seat belt.
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Amy Linton’s father, Richard Linton, spoke in court on behalf of his family and Ms. Linton’s partner, Andrew: “On July 14, 2020, our lives were devastated forever. A police car came to our quiet dead end and we were told that Amy had died in a car accident less than a mile away.
“It was the worst day of our lives. Ami’s friends had to pick up her things from the field.
“This left my granddaughter without a mother, and Andrew, her partner, has to raise her on her own while trying to run her own business. Our Amy is working hard to continue her teaching career.
“She had a passion for helping children with their reading skills. We will never overcome this trauma. Writing this statement is one of the most difficult things to do and we will always miss it so much.
Speaking on behalf of Andrew, Amy’s partner, Richard Linton said: “My daughter has lost her mother and her best friend. I lost my support, my soundboard, my love and my life partner. My biggest fear now is that my daughter’s life will be devastated by the death of Amy, as well as ours.
Defending Allport, Eleanor Fry said an expert report found that the speeds of the two vehicles were “not different from each other, but that there was enough evidence to determine which of the vehicles may have traveled faster.” Ms. Fry said Allport, who is a site manager in the construction industry, sincerely regrets it.
Allport’s family listened from the public gallery; more than twenty members of Mrs. Linton’s family and friends sat on opposite sides of the courtroom. Judge Paul Watson told QC that Amy was “a loving care partner, mother and teacher of young children.” She was adored and respected by her family and those who knew her well. “
He told Allport that “although it is not possible to say how fast you were driving at the time of the collision, it is clear that you were driving aggressively and at excessive speed.” Members of Mrs. Linton’s family cried when the judge closed Allport for five years and seven months.
He was deprived of the right to drive for five years and ten months. The judge thanked “everyone in this court for the calm and dignified manner in which you behaved.”
Following the verdict, North Yorkshire Police Chief Inspector Jazz Bartley said: “Simon Allport was found to be more than one and a half times more legally liable when he collided with a BMW in Am Linton’s car, and he he will have to learn to live with the consequences of his selfish and deadly actions for the rest of his life.
“Sitting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol destroys the lives of so many people. We welcome the judge’s verdict today and hope it acts as a warning to others who mistakenly think it is acceptable to drink and drive.
“My thoughts and sympathies are with Amy’s family, who have shown incredible courage during this emotional investigation and trial after suffering unimaginable devastation.”
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