Jonathon Hopkinson was driving at 100mph and killed Alice Birchall (Picture: SWNS)
A drunk man drove 100mph through a 30mph zone in a city centre with his young daughter in the car and killed a 22-year-old woman.
Jonathon Hopkinson, 35, sped through Leeds on June 18 2022 and crashed into Alice Birchall’s car while she was on her way home from work.
She had been allowed to leave work early by 15 minutes but died from her injuries two days later in hospital.
A man helped pull out Hopkinson, his daughter and Alice from her car.
Prosecutor Michael Smith told Leeds Crown Court that just months later, in October 2022, Hopkinson was caught speeding again – this time at 34mph in a 30mph zone.
Mitigating, Alistair Webster described Hopkinson as a ‘decent man’ and said: ‘He is a decent man who has to pay for one act that was deeply out of character.
‘Nothing I say, nothing will be seen as detracting from the appalling consequences of Jonathon Hopkinson’s driving.
‘He has read before coming to court the victim personal statements. He has now heard them. They were moving and took a degree of courage from the two ladies involved that should be recognised.
Alice had left work 15 minutes early (Picture: West Yorkshire Police/SWNS)
Hopkinson has been jailed (Picture: West Yorkshire Police/SWNS)
‘It may be hard to take as a reality that he is a decent man. So those statements were very hard for him and he understands that nothing he can say in terms of remorse or profound apology for what he has done. It is something that will never leave him.’
Anna Duffy who was a witness gave evidence and said: ‘I felt safe in the car with him.
‘This has affected him deeply. He cannot remember the crash and cannot comprehend why he would drive that way, especially with [his daughter] in the car. It’s mind-boggling.’
The judge jailed Hopkinson for eight years and made him the subject of a 12-year driving disqualification, at the end of which he will be required to take an extended retest.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Related Posts:
- Arsenal star William Saliba was best centre-back in Premier League last season, says Thierry Henry Sports William Saliba is in Germany with Didier Deschamps’ France squad this summer (Picture: Getty) Arsenal icon Thierry Henry has heaped praise on William Saliba, claiming the youngster was ‘the best centre-back in the Premier League’ last season. Saliba shone at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s defence as Arsenal finished as…
- Boulder County photographer captures the stories of young refugees through silhouettes News A girl’s silhouette gazes at a flock of monarch butterflies, their orange wings vivid against a bleak wintery backdrop. Titled “From Broken Trees,” the piece, featured at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center, is a personal favorite of Boulder County-based photographer Dona Laurita. “The girl actually witnessed some of her family…
- ‘Drunk’ tourist goes on joyride in BULLDOZER before flipping 25-tonne vehicle down quarry in latest Majorca hols madness News A “DRUNK” tourist has been arrested after stealing a bulldozer and flipping it down a quarry in Majorca. Police have arrested a 26-year-old German man following the incident in the party resort of S’Arenal, near the island’s capital Palma, on Sunday. SolarpixA drunk German tourist has been arrested after stealing…
- ‘Not illegal to teach drunk’: No charges for 2nd-grade teacher at Northern California school News A second-grade teacher who was allegedly intoxicated in her classroom will not face charges, the Sutter County district attorney has announced. Related Articles With pistol in hand, 10-year-old East Bay girl allegedly made video saying she’d go to school and ‘use it.’ California-mandated ethnic studies sparks curriculum clash Stanford University…
- ‘Drunk’ tourist steals £295,000 bulldozer before crashing it in holiday hotspot News The tractor crashed near a 30ft drop (Picture: SolarPix) Police have arrested a ‘drunken’ German tourist who stole a £295,000 bulldozer before crashing it in Majorca. The 26-year-old cheated death after overturning the 25-tonne vehicle on the edge of a steep drop at the quarry he broke into near his…
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)