A PRISON officer who was gambling on his phone when he ploughed into a pregnant woman’s car at 71mph has been jailed.
Jack Bentley spent “almost the entirety” of a two hour drive playing games and placing online bets before disaster struck in on April 6 last year.
Derby Crown Court heard the prison officer spent ‘almost the entirety’ of his journey gamblingCredit: Alamy
Jack Bentley crashed into a stationary car while travelling 71mphCredit: Derbyshire police
The prison officer was seen swerving across lanes and clipping curbs before finally crashing into traffic.
He ploughed his Focus, which was barrelling along the A50 in Foston at 71mph, into the rear of a stationary X-Trail.
The victim, who was travelling with her partner, two children, and dog, was rushed to hospital after the horror.
She was forced to undergo an emergency C-section at 33 weeks pregnant under general anaesthetic, and left with a broken pelvis.
The crash meant she was unable to hold her premature baby daughter, who weighed just four pounds, for three weeks.
And, one of the children in the car suffered a fractured ankle, while their dog needed emergency spinal surgery.
Phillip Plant, prosecuting, told Derby Crown Bentley had been driving from Derby to Blackpool before the collision.
The victims were travelling home to after staying with relatives.
“In her victim impact statement she said ‘Any mother should not give birth without skin-to-skin contact and for the first three weeks all I could see of my daughter was her in an incubator from my hospital bed’,” read Mr Plant in court.
Justin Ablott, mitigating, said: “He would like to say how sorry and devastated he is for what he has done.
“He knows the incident has had a huge effect on the victims and their family.”
Bentley, of Chellaston, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Upon sentencing, Recorder Penelope Stanistreet-Keen said: “For pretty much the whole two hours you were in the car, you had been on your phone on gambling and gaming sites.
“Eight miles earlier (a witness) was so concerned about your driving – clipping the kerb, hogging the outside lane and weaving in and out of traffic – they took a photo of your car in case they needed to call the police.”
The defendant was jailed for two years and four months, as well as placed under a driving ban for three years and two months.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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