Driver admits causing Gloucester grandmother's death on M5
The motorist who caused the death of a Gloucester grandmother will be sentenced next month.
Yesterday Yuriy Lopatyuk admitted causing the death by careless driving of Barbara Chatterton.
He pleaded guilty to the charge, when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court.
Mrs Chatterton, 62, from Tuffley where her son Chris is a Grange ward city councillor, died when her Mazda MX-5 was involved in a collision with a van between junctions seven and eight of the M5 in Worcestershire, last July.
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Lopatyuk will be sentenced on March 14.
3 Comments
by johncc2010
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 7:07PM
“I dont wish to point fingers here because of how sad this event turned for both sides.
But, his name is suggesting he is a foreign gent. I wonder whether he is a visitor to the UK or has been a resident for a long time and is accustomed to driving in the UK.
Which ever be the case, this chap will live with this for the rest of his life.”
by OnTheSofa
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 7:01PM
“it's not manslaughter because it doesn't satisfy the criteria for manslaughter...
carelessness is not sufficient for a manslaughter charge. it has to be gross negligence which is hard to prove. that's why you don't see many cases of manslaughter or murder being charged for road traffic offences even where the circumstance might seem as if they demand it.
and in the example you cite you are probably right but if it were charged as manslaughter it'd be charged as unlawful dangerous act manslaughter not gross negligence manslaughter which is relevant to the poor lady's death.
and he wasn't reckless (according the the charge laid against him) he was careless... carelessless of itself it not necessarily dangerous and therefore not charged as UDA Manslaughter
it's essentially why the "death by dangerous driving" offence was created as it was too hard to convict for manslaughter and too light a sentence for careless driving. It's the age-old problem of whether you convict on the result of the act (ie death) or the level of intent/culpability of the act itself (a moment's carelessness).”
by Matt1006
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 5:26PM
“Whatever sentence he receives, it won't be anywhere near enough. And because he's admitted it (no doubt on the advise of his barrister), his sentence will be reduced.
I don't know the details of how this accident happened, but the guilty party has admitted causing death by careless driving, so he admits his actions have resulted in a death. So why is this not manslaughter? If his careless actions had been punching somebody in the street who then hit their head on the kerb and died, he'd be charged with manslaughter. So why is it not the same when it's a reckless driver who causes the fatality?”