Jail for death crash lorry driver

A lorry driver who sped through a red light and ploughed into a Staffordshire couple's car killing them both has been jailed for five years.

Jurors ruled Czech national Pavel Dolejs was driving dangerously when he caused the deaths of 29-year old Tony Malpass and his partner, Joanne Beardsmore, who was 35, from Burntwood.

Father of three Dolejs was going over the speed limit, had cut short his mandatory rest period and drove past the traffic lights on the A5 near Brownhills "as though they were not there", Stafford Crown Court heard.

The couple were travelling in their Kia Rio car when it was in collision with the HGV at the junction of the A5 and the B5011, near the Terrace Restaurant. A laptop computer was found in the cab and the jury was told Dolejs may have been distracted by it when he crashed.

The trucker denied being responsible for the crash, on June 17 this year, and tried to blame Mr Malpass by claiming the lights at the junction of Ogley Hay Road were on green.

However eyewitnesses confirmed Mr Malpass had set off from the stop line after the lights turned green in his favour.

Judge Mark Eades told Dolejs: "The A5 is a long, straight road at this point, there was nothing obstructing your view, no reason not to notice the traffic lights.

"For some reason – and only you know the answer – you didn't appreciate there were traffic lights, you drove as though they were not there, until it was too late."

Dolejs was also banned from driving for five years and ordered to take an extended driving test.

Dolejs, aged 44, from the Czech Republic, denied two charges of causing death by dangerous driving and two alternative charges of causing death by careless driving.

The decision was unaminous after a three-day trial.