A drunken individual raced at a speed of 100mph through a 30mph zone in a city center with his young daughter in the vehicle, resulting in the death of a 22-year-old woman.
On June 18, 2022, Jonathon Hopkinson, 35, sped through Leeds and collided with Alice Birchall’s car while she was commuting home from work.
Despite leaving work 15 minutes early, Birchall succumbed to her injuries two days later at the hospital.
An individual assisted in extracting Hopkinson, his daughter, and Birchall from her car.
During a court hearing, prosecutor Michael Smith revealed that just a few months later in October 2022, Hopkinson was once again caught driving over the speed limit, this time at 34mph in a 30mph zone.
In a mitigating statement, Alistair Webster portrayed Hopkinson as a ‘respectable individual’ and mentioned that: ‘He is a respectable person who must face the consequences of one isolated incident that was completely out of character.’
Webster continued by stating, ‘Nothing I express, nothing could diminish the severe outcomes of Jonathon Hopkinson’s driving. Before attending court, he had perused through the victim personal statements. He has now listened to them. They were poignant and required a level of bravery from the two women affected, which should be acknowledged.’
‘Accepting the fact that he is a respectable individual may be difficult. Hence, those statements were profoundly challenging for him, and he understands that nothing he utters in terms of regret or sincere apology for his actions will ever suffice. The memories will haunt him endlessly.’
Anna Duffy, who provided witness testimony, stated: ‘I felt secure in the car with him. This incident has profoundly impacted him. He has no recollection of the crash and cannot fathom why he would drive recklessly, especially with [his daughter] on board. It’s unfathomable.’
The judge sentenced Hopkinson to eight years in prison and imposed a 12-year driving ban, following which he must undergo an extensive retest.
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