Lucinda Collins Avoids Custody Despite Causing Fatal Collision

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Roger Dutton’s family condemns the justice system as a failure after Collins walks free. Dutton died on August 25, 2022, near Christleton when Collins overshot a junction and caused a collision that fatally struck him.

Collins, a dentist from Upton, was distracted by a hands-free call about her father’s failing health at the time of the crash.

Judge Steven Everett sentenced Collins to two years in jail, suspended for two years, following her late guilty plea to causing death by dangerous driving.

The judge cited Collins’ personal distress and the impact on her young daughter as significant mitigating factors.

Dutton’s family expressed deep disgust at the absence of custodial punishment. “We have had to endure 15 months of witnessing the person who killed our loved one attempt to mitigate her actions, only to then, finally admit what she has done,” they said.

“She could have spared us this time and pain by admitting guilt at the first opportunity.” The family accused Collins of showing no compassion or remorse toward them.

“She has tried to blame other factors i.e. road signage and perceptual traps etc, by instructing numerous so called expert reports but to no avail.”

“Only on the third court appearance did she enter any plea at all and that was guilty to a lesser offence of death by careless driving, how could she not, from her dash cam footage alone this was evident.”

“Even the judge at the time acknowledged the unquestionable culpability, yet she still attempted to diminish her actions.”

“Unwilling to admit her full guilt she forced further court hearings, resulting in a trial which was scheduled for March 17.”

“At the eleventh hour, the week before trial she requested a ‘Goodyear Indication’ hearing.”
“The purpose of this hearing was to give her a crystal ball, so to speak, where she could find out what her sentence would be if she pled guilty on that day to the original and accurate charge of death by dangerous driving.”

“In deliberation, Judge Everett credited reduction of sentence for a number of factors. To our disgust, these included making an early guilty plea to death by careless driving and also for her apparent remorse.”
“A guilty plea that was never in question and remorse that has never been evident towards us!”
“These credits brought the sentence down to two years, conveniently being the maximum term that can be suspended and that’s exactly what the judge advised would happen.”

“Not surprisingly she then quickly entered a plea of guilty to death by dangerous driving, therefore, avoiding a trial and a custodial sentence, something that would not have been avoided had she have been found guilty at trial less than a week later.”

“She now walks free from court, free to live her life, with her family, with little consequences for taking another person’s life! That is not justice and is an insult to the value of Roger’s life.” “The justice system has failed him and us, the victims in this tragedy.”

Judge Everett acknowledged Collins had no prior offenses and was not deemed a threat to society.
He imposed a five-year driving ban and 250 hours of community service along with court costs of £2,260.

Dutton’s family described their loss as shattering and eternal. His widow said, “The void is immense. We will never again see his smiling face or hear his laughter.” His son called him a hero and best friend.
His daughter addressed Collins directly, saying, “You alone have our family broken.”