Home / Crime and Justice / Driver avoids jail after crash kills couple
Driver avoids jail after crash kills couple
10 Jan
Summary
- Driver convicted of causing death by careless driving.
- Couple killed in head-on collision on Bridlington road.
- Driver received suspended sentence and five-year ban.
Laila Barnard-Wigley, 27, has avoided prison after admitting to causing the deaths of Dean Yarrow and Faye Wardle in a horrific head-on collision on May 7, 2021. Driving her Mercedes too fast for torrential rain conditions in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, her car aquaplaned and collided with the couple's vehicle.
Barnard-Wigley, who was reportedly rushing to sell beauty products before a salon closed, was found to be driving carelessly. The tragic accident resulted in the deaths of Mr Yarrow, 33, and Miss Wardle, 32, leaving their families devastated by the profound grief and the "deafening silence" left behind.
At Hull Crown Court, Barnard-Wigley received a 21-month suspended prison sentence, 200 hours of unpaid work, and a six-month curfew. She is disqualified from driving for five years and must pass an extended retest. Her defense cited inexperience and genuine remorse for the "momentary lapse" and "misjudgement" that led to the catastrophic consequences.
