A Lithuanian delivery driver has been jailed for three years after killing a beloved 94-year-old woman by reversing her body while using cannabis.
‘Absolutely catastrophic’ injuries were inflicted on Sylvia Bentley when Edgaras Kondratas, 42, noticed he had rolled back on something and was asked to drive his Mercedes Sprinter back to the front.
The father-of-two was given the sentence after jurors found him guilty of causing death by dangerous driving without due care and attention.
Winchester Crown Court, Hants, heard that Kondratas – who was 0.8mg over the legal limit for cannabis – did not ‘use’ his rear-view camera because it was ‘inconvenient’, meaning he had not noticed the pedestrian.
The accident happened around lunchtime on May 2 last year while Kondratas was collecting charity donations.
Prosecutor Charles Gabb said Ms Bentley sat to the right of his vehicle and ‘walked slowly’ towards her home in Weymouth, Dorset.
The retiree began walking around the van and that’s when Kondratas “hit” her, the prosecutor said.
“He realized he had hit her and when he realized he had hit something he moved forward and ran over her based on that maneuver,” Mr Gabb added.
Edgaras Kondratas outside Winchester Crown Court, Hants. Lithuanian delivery driver has been jailed for three years after killing a beloved 94-year-old
Winchester Crown Court, Hants, heard the accident happened around lunchtime on May 2 last year while Kondratas was collecting charity donations
Kondratas called the police and appeared ‘visibly upset’ as he could see that Ms Bentley’s injuries were ‘absolutely catastrophic’.
“She died very suddenly, if not immediately, as a direct result of being run over by the vehicle,” the prosecutor said.
“He didn’t use the rear view camera at all, which would have allowed him to stop and not hit her.”
The court heard during the trial that Kondratas’ “excuse” for not checking the reversing camera was that it was “inconvenient.”
Mr Gabb said this was ‘clearly an unsafe manoeuvre’.
The court was also told he was over the limit for cannabis by 2.8 micrograms in a liter of his blood, with Kondratas telling police he had used the drug the night before.
The legal limit is 2 micrograms per liter of blood.
Mrs Bentley’s daughter Alice told the court her mother was born in Ireland and was the first woman ever to study history at the highly regarded University of Bristol.
Pictured: archive photo of a gray Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Kondratas realized that he had rolled back on something that allowed him to drive his Mercedes Sprinter forward again
“Since my mother was taken from us in such terrible circumstances on May 2, 2023, my entire world and that of our families has been turned upside down,” she said.
‘My mother was blessed with a long and healthy life. She was very grateful and made the most of her luck
‘However, the nature of this accident is such that it could just as easily have been a child or a parent of a young child, or a teenager.
“My wish on behalf of my mother is only that something good comes out of this tragedy.
“The verdict, from my perspective, is not intended to punish the driver – who I am sure is haunted by the terrible death of my mother – but is a reminder to anyone who sits behind the wheel of a motor vehicle of that one careless moment. of distraction can lead to the death of another human being.”
Sally Mertens urged the judge to consider a suspended sentence for father-of-two Kondratas, insisting ‘no link had been established’ between the cannabis and reckless driving.
“We have no evidence that cannabis consumption is the cause of careless driving,” she said.
“In my respectful comments, there is nothing more the court can do with Mr. Kondratas to make him more remorseful.”
Judge Mousley said Kondratas’ actions could be described as an ‘unsafe manoeuvre’ which led to Ms Bentley’s death.
His honorary judge Timothy Mousley KC today sentenced Kondratas to three years in prison and imposed a driving disqualification of four years and six months.
“You simply didn’t check to see if the area behind the van was clear,” he said.
‘There are very simple checks you could have taken to prevent this altogether.
‘You are now 41 and you came to Britain 12 years ago and became a conscientious member of society.
“Your character clearly has some extremely positive qualities, but I must sentence you according to the sentencing guidelines.”
Judge Mousley said Kondratas’ action could be described as an ‘unsafe manoeuvre’ which led to Ms Bentley’s death.
‘Her death was tragic and in the truest sense of the word, it cannot hurt that all of us who drive on the road need to be reminded of the level of caution when driving and the responsibility we have towards other road users.’
The judge emphasized that Ms Benley’s death serves as a “reminder” to motorists that a momentary lapse in judgment can have fatal consequences.
