Woman jailed for ‘catastrophic’ overtake which killed biker

Jeffrey Scott, 66, died at the scene after his Ducati motorcycle was struck by a Vauxhall Corsa being driven by Danielle Barrett on Langrick Road, near Coningsby, on July 21, 2023.

Barrett, 28, of Steadman Court, Horncastle, denied causing Mr Scott's death by dangerous driving but was found guilty after a trial at Lincoln Crown Court in December.

The court heard Barrett was driving south on the B1192 at no more than 25mph when she pulled out to pass a slow moving crop sprayer just before a left-hand bend.

Chris Jeyes, prosecuting, told the court Mr Scott was an experienced motorcyclist who was riding his 31st bike and had set out early on the day of the collision to beat the weather.

Mr Jeyes argued Barrett's driving was aggravated by her previous motoring convictions and the vulnerability of Mr Scott as a biker.

Victim impact statements from a number of Mr Scott's family and friends were read out in court.

His wife, Bev, described her husband of over 40 years as a "popular leader."

"Responsibility and respect were the foundations of his personality," she told the court.

The court heard Mr Scott also excelled at rugby, played football for Washingborough and held the 100 metres record at North Kesteven School for over 30 years.

Mrs Scott also described the pain of having to face a trial.

"Our whole future was destroyed in just a second," Mrs Scott explained.

In her statement Mr Scott's sister described her sibling as the "perfect brother" who was "always there" for his family.

The court heard Barrett passed her driving test in 2016. She received three points for speeding in July 2020, six points for driving without insurance in September 2020, and a further six points for operating a mobile phone in August 2024.

In mitigation the court was told Barrett always admitted driving carelessly but had made a "catastrophic error" in attempting the overtake.

The court heard Barrett was not in any hurry on the day of the collision, remained at the scene and had not taken drink or drugs

Before passing sentence on Thursday, February 12, Judge Catarina Sjolin-Knight addressed the public gallery and made it clear no sentence could make up for the loss of Mr Scott.

Judge Sjolin-Knight said she had found that Barrett thought the road was probably clear but "wasn't sure" when she carried out the overtake.

However, Judge Sjolin-Knight remarked it "beggared belief" that Barrett had been convicted of a further driving offence since the collision.

Judge Sjolin-Knight said the collision occurred at the only point on the road where she could not see oncoming traffic because of the bend.

"You didn't see him (Mr Scott) until it was too late," Judge Sjolin-Knight told Barrett, adding that she had only needed to wait for a few minutes.

Barrett was also banned from driving for seven and half years and must take an extended retest.

Following the hearing, Lincolnshire Police issued a statement on their investigation which concluded that Mr Scott had no time to react.

Detective Sergeant James Perring, from the force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This collision was solely due to the dangerous driving of Barrett when she moved into the opposing carriageway when she did not have a view of the road ahead. Despite her comments in interview, the position of her vehicle, as caught by the CCTV (from a nearby property), clearly demonstrated that she was commencing an overtaking manoeuvre.

“Whilst we may get frustrated at having to travel behind slower moving vehicles, her impatience led to a dangerous manoeuvre that has cost Mr Scott his life. Just waiting a few seconds more to clear the bend would have provided a view of the road ahead and prevented this unnecessary heartache.”