Family's forgiveness for careless driver who caused Stroud mum's death

A CARELESS young driver who caused a 96-year-old woman's death when he reversed into her in a pedestrian zone has walked free from court.

But the family of "fiercely independent" Edna Pinnington, who died a month after being hit, said she would not have wanted 23-year-old Oscar Fairfax-Sladden to lose his freedom because of the accident.

Mrs Pinnington had previously campaigned for the pedestrianisation of King Street, Stroud, where she was reversed into on Easter Monday last year.

She suffered a fractured hip in the collision and died almost a month later after undergoing surgery, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

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Fairfax-Sladden, of Thompson Road, Uplands, Stroud, was banned from driving for 18 months.

He was also placed under a three-month home curfew from 8.30pm-6am every night and was ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work.

He had pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.

The court heard he had been seen reversing a small white car while also talking to someone through the window when Mrs Pinnington was struck by the rear of the vehicle.

After the hearing, Mrs Pinnington's daughter, Gail Pinnington, said her mother would not have wanted to see Fairfax-Sladden jailed for his tragic moment of carelessness.

"She was such a forgiving and caring person, so we feel if he can learn a lesson from this and go on to be a more caring and responsible person then that is the best we can hope for," she said.

Her brother Guy Pinnington added: "Our mother would not have liked him to lose his job or his freedom over this.

"She would have just said it was an accident and she would forgive him, but she would have wanted him to learn from it."