BREAKING: Mum jailed after causing death of 'little angel' son, 9, by dangerous driving in horror crash

A mum whose nine-year-old son was killed when their car smashed into a van and cattle transporter has been jailed for causing his death by dangerous driving.

Zac Roe died at the scene of the crash in East Woodyates, north Dorset, on March 25, 2024. He had been in the passenger seat of a Citroen DS9 hire car driven by his mum Barbara Roe's when the crash happened at around 5.20pm, after she picked him up from school.

In March this year the 39-year-old mum pleaded guilty to the charge and has today been sentenced to five years in prison and banned from driving for seven and a half years.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Zac, who was from Andover, Hampshire, was described by his father Josh Roe as his best buddy and little angel. Following Zac's death he said: “Words cannot describe the pain I’m feeling, my heart is broken. You are my little angel. I love you more than anything in this , you are my best buddy.”

And his grandfather Chris Roe added: “Zac, there are just no words to find. I just want to thank you for the wonderful and fun-filled memories we shared on your short journey of your life.

“You were taken too soon but memories will last us a lifetime. We will never stop loving you. Your smile and laughter still echoes around my and everyone’s heart. Sweet dreams, our little angel.”

Prosecutor Siobhan Linsley told Bournemouth Crown Court that Zac was the only son of the defendant and Josh Roe. He said that on the day of the crash Roe was driving a vehicle she had hired from Enterprise car hire, because hers - an electric Vauxhall - had run out of charge.

The defendant unexpectedly moved out of the family home on March 20, five days before the crash, the court heard. After leaving the family home, Zac's father contacted the police, child services and his school about his concerns of the defendant, who has bipolar, looking after Zac.

One the day of the accident, the defendant collected Zac from school at around 3.15pm. Ms Linsley said Josh Roe had felt unable to insist the school stop his wife from picking his son up, and the school had previously discussed with Mr Roe that they would be unable to refuse her.

The court heard Roe visited her new partner with Zac before stating she was going to take her son to Durdle Door. The court heard how the defendant had previously sent a picture of her car next to a police vehicle and told the grandparent, Mr Roe senior, that she had been stopped for speeding at 80mph in 40mph.

According to the prosecutor Mr Roe senior told the defendant to not drive fast with Zac in the car.

The court heard that the defendant was driving on a single carriageway when she tried to overtake the van, but was unable and dropped back behind him.

As the road entered a duel carriageway the defendant's vehicle was seen to tailgate the van with only two to three metres between the vehicles in the right-hand lane, the prosecutor said.

When the van moved to the left lane, both vehicles were seen 'to almost race each other' to get to the end of the dual carriageway first. The road returned to a single carriageway, with a 60mph limit. Witnesses said the van and the defendant's Citreon were still travelling "significantly in excess of 80mph".

Witnesses saw the defendant pulled out halfway onto the opposite side of the road in an attempt to overtake again, before tucking back in. The nearby car driver commented to his wife: "This is crazy, this is an accident waiting to happen."

Witnesses say the Citreon "flew past" after she fully moved into the opposite lane. A HGV carrying cattle was travelling on the opposite side of the road. Judge Robert Pawson commented that this man's driving was "completely blameless".

The defendant attempted to avoid the lorry by steering into the bushes at the side of the road but this meant the passenger side of her car, carrying Zac collided with the lorry.

The lorry driver said he heard an "almighty smack" and the engine of the Citreon was found 30 metres away from the site of the crash.

During a police interview two days after the crash, Roe denied speeding and told officers: "Then there was a f***ing massive lorry in front of me."

Zac's grandmother Lyn Roe, read a victim impact statement to the court. It said: "The last time I saw Zac, I saw his beautiful face and remember him looking scared. That last memory of him will haunt me forever."

Mrs Roe said she used to look after Zac when the defendant returned to work, adding: |It was a joy and a privilege. I loved that boy, I am broken.

"I think of how terrifying it must have been for that little boy driven in this car so recklessly."

She added that Zac died a "needless death". She added: "You should be here now Zac, you were only nine, instead you were taken so cruelly by your mother. I wish there was a miracle that would bring you back."

Christopher Mitchell, the HGV driver involved in the collision who has transported livestock for 25 years, told the court: "For the first few months I wished it was me who died in that collision, instead of that little boy."

In mitigation, Charles Gabb told the court that Roe was suffering from a mental health episode at the time and was sectioned immediately after the crash.

He added: "One can only imagine how a mother must feel, this was her only child, and at the age of 39 this will be her last. I hope the court can understand the true level of remorse she feels."

While sentencing Roe, Judge Pawson said the lorry driver was "completely blameless" and is now "yet another victim in his own right", before praising members of the public who tried to assist after the collision. He added: "Mercifcully in an expert opinion, [Zac] knew nothing of what happened and he did not suffer."

He told Roe her driving was not just dangerous for a matter of seconds, but for a matter of minutes. He added: "I do not get the sense of remorse of someone in Mrs Roe's position. It may be the inability at this stage to fully take on board the awfulness of what she has done. It was her actions that caused the death of her son."