Two drivers jailed for killing woman while racing near Bath
Daniel Leonard and Mark Howell were racing side by side round a corner on the A367, when Leonard hit a VW Polo coming the other way
Two drivers, who caused a fatal crash while racing each other on the A367 near Bath, have been jailed for a combined total of 16 years.
Daniel Leonard (29) of no fixed address and 32-year-old Mark Howell from Bloomfield in Bath were in separate cars racing side by side heading into a sharp bend on Dunkerton Hill, at around 10:45am on Wednesday 3 March 2021, when Leonard's car collided head on with a VW Polo coming the opposite way.
The driver of the Polo, 64-year-old Heather Church, suffered significant head injuries and died at the scene.
At Bristol Crown Court today the two men were sentenced to 15 years and five and a half years respectively.
Leonard will serve 11 years of his sentence behind bars with the rest on licence, while he will also be banned from driving for 10 years following his release.
Howell will be banned for five years upon his release and both will have to take an extended re-test.
Following today’s hearing, the family of Heather Church have released this statement: “As a family we have been utterly devastated by the loss of Heather.
We would like to thank the members of the public who attended the collision to offer help, as well as our deepest thanks to all the emergency services personnel who attended and did their best at the scene, as well as to those who have investigated this incident which has resulted in these convictions.”
The court heard how Leonard was driving an orange Ford ST, while Howell was driving a BMW M5.
Both vehicles overtook a bus before racing side-by-side into the bend.
A forensic collision investigator estimated Leonard was driving at 79mph in the moments before he struck the VW Polo, causing it to rotate and propel backwards into hedging.
The legal limit on that stretch of road was 50mph.
So significant was the collision, the engine and gearbox from the Ford were separated from the car.
The BMW did not stop at the scene, but officers stopped the car the same evening in Downside Road, near Bristol Airport, and arrested Howell.
Collision investigator Dai Nicholas said: “We carried out a significant investigation into this collision, gathering and examining all available camera footage, speaking to eyewitnesses and carrying out detailed forensic enquiries.
“Witnesses we spoke to described the actions of Leonard and Howell as completely reckless and their decision to race has cost an innocent person their life.
“Our thoughts are very much with the family of Heather Church and we hope the fact those who caused the collision have been brought to justice will bring them some comfort.
“We’d like to publicly thank all the people who came forward to provide statements and evidence in this case, which has helped us achieve justice for Heather’s family."
In court, Judge Patrick said no sentence could “right the wrong” in this case, describing the aftermath of the collision as “a horror scene”.