Soldier was on phone before cyclist's crash death

A serving soldier has been jailed after causing the death of a 71-year-old cyclist while using her mobile phone.

Sophie Waugh, 31, had been driving along the A6055 near Thirsk when she crashed into the rear of Ian Morris' bicycle.

Teesside Crown Court heard she had been using messaging apps for a "prolonged" period immediately before the collision on 28 June 2023.

Waugh, who is mother to a newborn baby and a three-year-old, was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison on Friday after admitting causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing.

The court heard Royal Logistics Corps servicewoman Waugh, of Broadway West, Dormanstown, Redcar, had been driving a black Ford Focus at about 14:20 BST on the day of the crash.

She had left Alanbrooke Barracks near Topcliffe to drive home.

Mr Morris, from Bedale, was cycling in front of her, to the left of the carriageway, and was wearing a green luminous top.

Witnesses saw Waugh veer to the left of the road, crashing into Mr Morris, and afterwards she claimed she had not seen him.

Police examined Waugh's phone, which showed she had been using it to send messages on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat for 12 minutes during the journey.

Mr Morris was described in a victim impact statement as being a husband of almost 50 years, a father of two sons and a doting grandfather.

His wife, Pauline Morris, said the family "measured things by what they would never do again".

She added: "Our lives have been on hold since that day, we are stuck in limbo, waiting for the truth.

"It would have been our golden wedding anniversary this year.

"We knew how we were going to celebrate and mark the milestone – a dream trip to play golf at the famous Pebble Beach golf course in America."

Mrs Morris said she felt as though her future had been cancelled.

Mr Morris' sons Jonathan and Timothy said their father's death had been an "ongoing nightmare they could not wake up from" and spoke about the heartbreak their children had also suffered.

The court heard Waugh, from South Shields, had been a serving soldier with the British Army since she was 19 years old.

She had been deployed abroad, as well as working at bases in the UK, and she would now be discharged from the armed forces.

Waugh gave birth to her second child in November and was pregnant during some of her court appearances.

Judge Stead said her substantial sentence would have a "significant adverse effect" upon her children but her prolonged illegal use of a phone while driving came with a severe penalty.

As well as a prison sentence, Waugh was banned from driving for five and a half years and must take an extended driving test.

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