Lorry driver, 25, who killed mother-of-one in freak crash when a metal arm fell out of the side of his truck but he IGNORED the alarm is jailed for four years 

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A lorry driver who killed a mother-of-one in a freak road crash at a pedestrian crossing while rushing to get home was jailed for four and a half years today.

William Stewart, 25, was driving with a huge metal arm sticking out of his truck in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, while transporting barriers from a music festival.

He was so keen to return home that he failed to lock the stabiliser fitted to his flat-bed vehicle which was supposed to be holding the metal fencing in place.

Jailed: William Stewart (left, pictured today) was driving with a huge metal arm sticking out of his truck in Altrincham while transporting barriers - which hit and killed Natalie Thorpe (right)

Truck at the scene: Stewart was in such a rush to get home that he failed to lock a stabiliser fitted to his flat-bed vehicle which was supposed to be holding the metal fencing in place

A support arm then became dislodged and began hanging loose up to 4ft from the side of his Ford Iveco lorry, which hit and killed 29-year-old Natalie Thorpe.

Stewart was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving at Preston Crown Court. He will also be banned from driving for five years once he is freed from jail.

The court heard father-to-be Stewart was working as an agency driver for Block n Mesh Fencing near his home in Birkenhead when the crash happened in June 2015.

He was assigned to bring the metal fencing to the Wirral from Cheshire, but he failed to safely secure the metal stabiliser before he drove the lorry.

Despite a warning alarm going off which could be heard by pedestrians outside, Stewart - who was using his mobile phone as a sat nav - ignored the bleeping.

Stewart also failed to look in his mirrors where he would have seen the stabiliser was not secured correctly, and carried on driving through the evening rush hour.

Danger: A support arm became dislodged and began hanging loose up to 4ft from the side of his Ford Iveco lorry (above), which hit and killed Miss Thorpe

Meanwhile Ms Thorpe, a boutique shop manageress from Urmston, who had a 12-year-old son named Luis, had just left work at the Elite Dress Agency in Altrincham.

Victim: Boutique shop manageress Ms Thorpe had a 12-year-old son named Luis

She was unaware of the danger as she was about to cross the road, and the support arm of the lorry hit both her and a pedestrian light at about 5.15pm.

It also crashed into a Volkswagen Golf before Stewart eventually stopped. Ms Thorpe suffered multiple injuries from the impact and died instantly.

Nicola Daley, prosecuting, said: ‘Driving the vehicle in the condition it was in and not making any checks made it a substantial risk of causing danger.’

In an emotional statement read in court, Ms Thorpe’s mother Jacqueline Mason said: ‘Around 8pm in June 4 I had a knock on the front door from the police.

‘I had reported Natalie missing and it was the worst news I could probably have heard. No parent wants to hear the news my daughter was not coming home. I was totally devastated, shocked and broken. 

'Natalie’s son was at my house and it was so hard having to break the news to him. I lay on his bed cuddling him trying to console looking out at the stars. 

 Tragedy: Tributes at the scene to Ms Thorpe, whose son was left 'devastated' by her death

'He said to me, “that’s where mummy is now - with the stars”. It hurt so much seeing a little boy so devastated, knowing his mummy, my daughter, was not coming home.

Convicted: Stewart, 25, was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving at court

'He was off school for weeks and only started back gradually. This has had such an affect on his education, he’s hone from being such a happy boy to being so withdrawn and suffers from regular panic attacks.

'I’ve been made to sit through the trial which had been so hard, I’ve gone home in the evening and cried myself to sleep hearing what I have. 

'Why did he put me though this? He fully admitted what he had done but didn’t want to say the word guilty. Even when he took the witness stand he didn’t appear to show any remorse. 

'Whatever sentence he gets it will never bring my daughter back or Luis’ mummy back - our hurt will continue for life. I just hope he never drives another truck as I don’t want another family to suffer the way my family have suffered.'

The court also heard Stewart had been fired by a previous haulage firm due to concerns about his driving following two other accidents.

Philip Astbury, defending, said: ‘He’s not an individual who simply shrugged this off or took it in his stride or moved on. It’s had a profound impact on him.

At the scene: Ms Thorpe was unaware of the danger as she was about to cross the road, and the support arm of the lorry hit both her and a pedestrian light at about 5.15pm on June 4, 2015

‘He talks about his depression, medication and feelings of guilt. He hopes and believes a custodial sentence will assist him in coming to terms because he will feel he had been punished for that.

Other incidents: Stewart was fired by a previous haulage firm due to concerns about his driving following two other accidents

‘He’s now in a supportive relationship that, if possible that is only served to emphasise the impact this must have had. He is expecting his own child, it brings home to him what happened on that particular day.

‘He gave evidence which will have inevitably caused great distress. He was accepting culpability for the events that particular day.

‘It was not easy for him to express himself. His experience was limited. Inexperience certainly contributed in that which happened.'

Sentencing Stewart, Judge Heather Lloyd: said: ‘I have come to the conclusion you were cutting corners that day, frustrated of being in Cheshire longer than you had anticipated.

‘You were so lax in your concentration and behaviour that day you did not notice the crossing or Miss Thorpe and you ignored the alarm constantly beeping. You failed to notice that the outrigger had become insecure from the three separate locking mechanisms that held it in place.

‘It was not rocket science or a particularly difficult set of actions you had to take to stabilise that arm.

Flowers: A judge said Ms Thorpe would not have the 'comfort' of looking forward to her future

‘This was no oversight, this was no mechanical failure, you quite simply ignored the training you had received over two courses.

‘Had you made the most cursory visual checks or pulled on the arm you would have realised that the arm was not secure.

‘No one is to blame but you and as a result a family is left bereft and a child without his mother. You were wholly unfit to hold any job which held such responsibility.

‘The drivers of heavy lorries on public roads carry a heavy responsibility... the consequences of failure are far higher than driving a car.

‘You will miss the birth of your child but when you are released you can look forward to your future together. Ms Thorpe, her mother and her son, can never have that comfort.’

Greater Manchester Police said inquiries revealed Stewart was involved in a number of incidents at his previous driving job including demolishing a customer's wall during a delivery and hitting a member of the public's vehicle and failing to stop.

Following the fatal collision, the lorry was inspected and it was found that the crane it was transporting had been packed away incorrectly and not secured properly.

Jailed: Stewart was 'wholly unfit to hold any job which held such responsibility', a judge said

One of the crane's stabiliser legs extended to its full 6ft length as Stewart drove around the corner as it approached the pelican crossing, added police.

After the case, Pc Paul Joynson, of GMP's serious collision investigation unit, said: ‘This tragic incident has taken the life of a young woman due to the negligence of William Stewart and has also robbed an innocent child of their chance to grow up knowing their mum.

‘Stewart committed a catalogue of errors and ignored the safety procedures expected of an LGV driver and a crane operator.

‘The sentence can never make up for the pain Natalie's family have endured but I hope that this can help to offer them some closure.’ 

Senior crown prosecutor Joanna Ingle added: ‘This is a tragic case whereby a woman has lost her life due to William Stewart’s negligence.

‘Drivers of HGV vehicles bear a heavy responsibility due to the sheer size of the vehicles, therefore it is imperative they comply with all necessary safety procedures before taking to our roads.

‘William Stewart’s driving that day fell far below that expected of a competent and careful driver with catastrophic results.

‘This case highlights the horrific consequences which can occur when someone does not follow the correct safety procedures whilst driving a heavy goods vehicle.’