Woman jailed for causing baby's crash death

A woman has been jailed for four years for causing the death of an eight-month-old baby in a crash.

Bridget Curtis, 71, admitted causing the death of Mabli Cariad Hall by dangerous driving outside Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in June 2023.

Baby Mabli was in a pushchair next to her father when Curtis crashed into her in a BMW.

Curtis was given a four-year sentence and disqualified from driving for eight years at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday.

Her sentence was reduced by 25% due to her guilty plea and she will have to pass an extended re-test before she can drive again following her disqualification.

Judge Geraint Walters said Curtis had been "grossly reckless", leading to Mabli dying "senselessly and needlessly".

Mabli, born 27 September 2022, died from a severe traumatic brain injury at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children four days after the crash on 21 June 2023.

In a statement issued at the time, her family said the loss of Mabli had changed their lives forever.

In court, her mother Gwen Hall was in tears as she read her victim impact statement.

"I don't know who I am anymore", she said, adding her "heart breaks constantly" and the details of the day "repeat on loop daily" in her mind.

Mabli "had her short life taken from her", Ms Hall added, and both she and her husband watched as "our baby died in our arms".

Michael Cray, prosecuting, said Curtis had tried to "look for a handbag on the rear seat" while still controlling the car's pedals.

"As a result, she lost control of the car, injuring bystanders and causing the death of a baby," he said.

"Curtis' actions had fatal consequences and serve as a reminder to all motorists of the serious responsibilities that come with being a driver."

In his statement, Mabli's father Robert Hall said Curtis "literally ripped my baby out of my hands".

Mr Hall was also hit by the car and told the court that, when he opened his eyes, "the first thing I saw is my daughter's pushchair under the car", adding he had since seen that moment "over and over again" in his mind.

He said the distress to Mabli's five siblings was "unimaginable and unforgettable".

"I will never forgive Bridget Curtis for what she has done to me and my family."

Curtis's family was also in court as John Dye, defending, said his client had no points on her licence and was previously "of good character".

He said Curtis had since been diagnosed with PTSD and depression, adding she had "flashbacks" of what happened.

In a letter read in court, Curtis said she was "so deeply sorry" and the "sadness and grief will be with me 'til my dying day".

In dashcam footage shown to the court, Curtis's car can be seen mounting a curb by an area of grass, before crashing into a tree where it came to a stop.

The footage shows the moment of impact and, shortly after, members of the public can be seen running towards the scene and looking underneath the car.

Robert Hall was also struck and injured in the incident, as well as his brother Stephen Hall, who sustained injuries to both lower legs.

Craig Jones, also prosecuting, told the court the 2017 white BMW travelled approximately 28m (85ft) and reached a top speed of 29mph (47km/h) during the incident.

Data from the BMW showed the throttle was "fully open" for four-and-a-half seconds before the collision and "remained fully open until the deployment of the airbag", with no brakes applied.

On the day of the crash, Robert Hall had been at Withybush hospital to see his mother Betty, who was an inpatient there.

The family had been told her prognosis was "a poor one" and palliative care was needed, so the family were "to say their goodbyes".

Mr Jones said, at about 11:00, Mr Hall was outside with his brother Stephen and Mabli, and was putting Mabli back in her pram when "he heard the sound of an approaching car".

Curtis had been at the hospital with her daughter for an outpatient appointment, stopping the BMW directly outside the building.

The court heard her daughter got out from the passenger side before making her way to the rear door to retrieve a handbag which was on the back seat.

Curtis, who was still sat in the driver seat "with the engine running", turned around to look in the back to help find that bag but "failed to place the car into the park setting" and the automatic vehicle propelled forward out of control.

Following the crash, Mabli was taken to the A&E department at Withybush hospital before being transferred to University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and then on to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Judge Walters said lives had been "changed forever" by the death of a "much cherished child".

Addressing Curtis, he added: "You are responsible for the life-changing devastation."

The judge said the evidence in the case was "quite chilling" and, while he accepted Curtis "didn't set out to drive in that way" or "intend harm to anybody", it was hard to imagine a case more "grossly reckless".

In a statement after the sentencing, Mabli's family said she was "the sunshine in our lives and shall forever be loved and missed".

"If anything is to be learned from the unnecessary loss of Mabli's life, it is that everyone who sits behind the wheel of a vehicle needs to realise that they are responsible for their own actions and the wellbeing of others."