Erica Buenor, 35, avoided prison after admitting causing the death of black cab driver Arthur Pountney, 77, in a head-on crash in Kidbrooke, south-east London. The court heard that she drifted across the central reservation after working all day, breastfeeding and sleeping very little, causing a “momentary lapse in concentration”. The case has highlighted the devastating consequences of careless driving and the impact of Mr Pountney’s death on his family.

The collision occurred shortly after 2.20am on 9 June 2023 on a straight 30mph dual carriageway. Investigators found that both drivers had each other in view for about 13 seconds before the crash; Mr Pountney suffered serious injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken clavicle, and died of cardiac arrest in hospital two days later. His widow subsequently entered a care home after struggling with his death and the loss of financial independence, while Buenor, a former police intelligence researcher and mother of three, pleaded guilty on the first day of her trial.