A single mother-of-two has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after a brief moment of phone distraction ended with the death of farmer Michael Armstrong, whose widow told a court the sight of the wreckage would never fade.
Ami Dronsfield, 36, of West Turnpike, Glanton, Northumberland, has been jailed for three years and two months for killing Mr Armstrong after she failed to see his quad bike while driving. She was travelling south on the A697 at Whittingham in a VW Golf, on her way to a hair appointment, when the collision happened. Newcastle Crown Court heard her phone had been active for seven seconds. Dronsfield had earlier pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
What the phone examination found
An analysis of the handset showed it was activated twice in the minutes before the crash, each time for only seconds. At 4.59pm it was unlocked, WhatsApp was opened and then closed, and the phone was locked again. At 5.02pm it was unlocked again, by pin code or facial recognition, and Snapchat was briefly opened before the collision.
The court heard no messages were prepared, created, sent or received on either app during this time, and no calls were made or received. The prosecution case therefore concerned the distraction itself rather than any exchange with another person. The car’s emergency braking system was triggered two seconds before the impact.
Judge Robert Adams said it would have been dark at the time and that the light from the phone would have been distracting. He accepted it was “a very short period of distraction but with fatal consequences”, adding that there was “no question that she failed to see the quad bike during that time”. Dronsfield tested negative for alcohol and drugs.
Call to emergency services
The court was told Dronsfield called 999 after the crash and appeared to be in shock. She was heard saying: “Oh my God, what if I’ve killed him.”
A family’s loss
A statement from Mr Armstrong’s family was read to the court. His wife said he had left home that evening to visit his elderly father, telling her: “I’m off, I’ll see you soon.” Those were the last words she heard from him.
After learning of the crash, Mrs Armstrong and her son went to the scene, which she described as “beyond horrific”. She said “time will never erase that horrific scene”, recalling that “in the wreckage was my beautiful husband Michael”. The couple had been together for 28 years, and she described him as her best friend and soulmate.
At his hospital bedside, the family “prayed for a miracle which deep down they knew wouldn’t happen”. They said their goodbyes on the day of their son’s 21st birthday.
Defendant’s remorse
The court heard that Dronsfield was of previous good character and had worked for Northumberland County Council for 17 years. It was told she was deeply remorseful for the “devastating impact my actions have had” and wished she could turn back time.
