Jailed: Killer lorry driver will be ‘haunted for life’ after A5 crash the …

Patrick Casey, aged 22, was jailed for four years and two months for causing the death of “protective” 24-year-old Callum Powell on the A5 at Nesscliffe on January 23 this year.

Shrewsbury Crown Court was shown dashcam footage of the tragic moment when Casey tried to go past another lorry on a single carriageway before colliding with Callum’s Vauxhall Astra. The Morrisons delivery driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The court was told how Casey “had his head in his hands and was crying” at the scene of the fatal crash.

Heartbreaking footage of Callum’s tearful mother Sandra was also played to the courtroom, as she told police how her son’s death had “blown apart” her family.

Simon Parry, prosecuting, told how Casey had been driving in the early hours of the morning behind two other HGVs heading towards Shrewsbury.

Footage was shown of Casey overtaking the first lorry in front of him, causing the driver to slow down before a roundabout to let him in.

Then, Casey tried to go past the second lorry, believing that the road was straight. But, tragically, he collided with Callum’s car travelling in the other direction.

Callum’s mother told of the harrowing moment the family got a knock on the door from the police less than two hours after her son had been killed.

She said: “The last time I saw him was on the Sunday afternoon when he was going off to work. He’d saw a nice BMW and was thinking about changing his car.

“He was sitting on a bar stool in the kitchen and asking me about it.

“He said ‘I’m going now,’ and went out the back door. I said ‘you be careful’. That was the last time I ever saw him.

“The first I knew (about his death) was Rachel (Callum’s sister) waking me up at 5.45am saying ‘the police are here’. I had woken up and his car wasn’t where it should be. I went to my phone. If he was going to be late or stay with his girlfriend he would message me.”

She went to the living room and said she “could tell” by the look on the face of Tony, her husband and Callum’s dad, that something was wrong.

“They said he’d had a road traffic collision on the A5 with a lorry that was on the wrong side of the road and that he had passed away at the scene.”

Mrs Powell said her “blood ran cold”. “That’s exactly what happened, I just went numb,” she added.

“Rachel burst into tears. We just sat there, stunned. Utterly stunned.

“The questions started coming. What happened? Why was he on the wrong side of the road? All these things are going through your mind.”

The police officers left and Mr and Mrs Powell began phoning round family members to try and stop them finding out what had happened second hand via social media.

She told how, in a tragic twist of fate, Callum’s death happened 21 years to the day after his cousin, who was also 24. Mrs Powell shared another “upsetting” phone call with her sister, whose son it was who died all those years ago.

“I feel empty,” she added. “Lost. Tony says the same. The only thing that’s keeping us going is Rachel.

“We’re in our 60s. We were looking forward to seeing out kids settle down. He (Callum) was so good with children. They were drawn to him.

“I spend a lot of time in his room. That’s where I feel close to him. His trainers are still where he left them. I won’t move them. I hoover around them.”

She also told how Tony regularly goes to the crash site because that’s where he feels close to Callum.

“Seeing his friends in one way is comforting, but in another I think why did it have to be Callum?

She also told how she still has his last text message, and has taken screen shots of it as she is scared of deleting it.

“I still imagine him coming through the door,” she added. “It’s still unbelievable. It’s just a nightmare.”

Asked what she thought of Casey, she said: “He has made a terrible mistake. He didn’t mean to kill Callum. I’m sure he is going through hell, as we are.

“I know if it was the other way around, I don’t think Callum could have lived with that on his conscience.

“I don’t hate him or wish something awful would happen to him. It’s just circumstances. Bad timing, bad judgement, bad outcome.

“We’ve got enough to deal with, without having feelings of that nature. It would probably make us bitter and twisted.

“I think he has to face up to his responsibilities. I don’t think he should get off scot free. The major thing is that others learn from it.

“You do have a massive responsibility when you are driving one of those massive lorries.”

Casey, of Cornamuckla, Broomfield, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, Northern Ireland, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Owen Edwards KC, mitigating, suggested Judge Anthony Lowe should consider that the “real deterrent” to stop others from driving dangerously is what the Powell and Edwards families have been dealing with for the last year.

He also described similarities between Callum and Casey, talking about Casey’s interest in motor vehicles.

Judge Lowe told Casey: “There is a significant responsibility on those who drive HGVs not to carry out potentially dangerous manoeuvres unless it is safe to do so.

“At 24 years old, his life was ended. A mother and father have lost their only son. A sister has lost her brother. No doubt countless others have been profoundly affected.

“No doubt this will haunt you for the rest of your life.”

Judge Lowe added that he applauded the Powell family for the “measured” way they had dealt with the situation, before handing down the sentence.

Casey will also be banned from driving for seven years and one month.

Callum’s mother also shared more memories of his life when speaking to police.

She told how he was “a happy little boy”, but suffered bullying at school. She said he was “protective” of his little sister, Rachel from the day she was born, and recalled how he would distract her with toys when she had hospital appointments for her diabetes.

“He didn’t have a high opinion of himself, but he had more friends than you can imagine,” she said, recalling how 250 turned out for his funeral.

“He knew so many people and was so knowledgeable about cars,” she added, remembering times he helped fix her car. “That’s the sort of guy he was. He always helped.”

She said how he always had an interest in cars and could pick out makes and models of vehicles when he was very young.

Mr Powell did work experience at a garage in Bomere Heath when he was 14, and started an apprenticeship at Church Road Garage in Baschurch aged 18.

He spent around five years working as a delivery driver for Al Piccolinos pizza takeaway in Shrewsbury town centre. “He used to tell me about the drunk people and what they were up to,” he mum recalled.

On the night of his death, he had finished his shift, been to see his girlfriend and then dropped off his friend who was working late at McDonald’s.

A victim impact statement from Callum’ sister Rachel was also read out. In it, she said she broke down in tears at work one day during the summer and had to be taken home by her dad. She went on bereavement leave and left the job shortly after.

She said she had found herself drifting from friends she shared with Callum and she had lost confidence.

She also said she believed Casey should be “held accountable” and should be handed a custodial sentence.