A husband who left his wife to die in the passenger seat of their car after he ran away from the scene of a crash has been jailed. Josep...
A husband who left his wife to die in the passenger seat of their car after he ran away from the scene of a crash has been jailed.
Joseph Berry, who was disqualified and uninsured, left the mother of his five children, Theresa Maguire, to die after he crashed their car and ran away from the scene.
Mr Berry was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and disqualified for driving for 11 years and six months.
Chester Crown Court heard on November 24 last year, Mr Berry was driving along Meadow View in Elton, Cheshire when his black Mercedes collided with a red Range Rover.
He crashed head on with the car after failing to negotiate a left-hand bend which resulted him being on the wrong side of the road.
The court heard he ran from the scene through a gap in a nearby fence.
His wife was taken to hospital but later died.
Berry went on the run from police and avoided arrest for 142 days until he handed himself in April this year.
He was sentenced after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving while being disqualified and uninsured.
PC Liz Thompson said as a result of Berry's dangerous driving "a woman has lost her life."
She said: “His actions after the collision are beyond disgraceful as he left not only the scene of the crash but his wife and the mother of their five children, in the passenger seat who sadly passed away.
“Driving dangerously and exceeding the speed limit can have catastrophic consequences and our thoughts remain with the family of the victim, who have been left devastated by this tragic incident.”
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