A WOMAN who hit and killed a motorcyclist while dangerously overtaking a lorry has been sent to prison for more than three years .
Mandy Pope, 55, was said to be "frustrated" as she made her way to work in Barry on the morning of November 23, 2021.
The Screwfix manager was getting more and more frustrated as she hit red light after red light before attempting to overtake a HGV on the A4226 just northwest of Barry.
But as Pope attempted to overtake the lorry, she slammed head-on into 21-year-old Jordan Talbot’s motorcycle as he was making his way to work in what was described as his dream job as an engineer for Aston Martin.
Reports on the crash said Pope would have seen Mr Talbot for six seconds before the head-on collision, having been too close to the HGV in front of her as she began to overtake.
She was estimated to have been going at 58 and 62mph as she smashed into Mr Talbot, who died of catastrophic injuries at the scene.
On sentencing, Judge Lloyd-Clarke described Pope on the morning in question as “frustrated” and “impatient”, and said her actions had brought about unimaginable grief to Mr Talbot’s family.
Despite having no previous convictions, and holding a clean driving license for more than three decades, Pope was given an immediate custodial sentence.
In mitigation, it was said Pope was genuinely remorseful for the incident, something Judge Lloyd-Clarke accepted.
It was said Pope’s mental health had been impacted by the crash. She suffered PTSD and took six months off work to try process what had happened.
Pope had also written a letter to the parents of Mr Talbot, the contents of which were not read out in court, and it was not confirmed whether Mr Talbot’s parents had actually read the letter.
What was read out in court was a harrowing victim impact statement from Mr Talbot’s mother, who tried to describe how difficult it is to go through every day putting a brave face on when all she wanted to do was "curl up and hide away from the world".
Mr Talbot’s mother also described the impact the crash had had on the rest of the family including his brothers.
Mr Talbot was described as a father figure to six-year-old Mason, who he used to banter with and for who all his mother wanted to hear was their laughter in the house again.
More worrying was the impact the death has had on Mr Talbot's other brother Ty, 17, who it was described is not showing emotions yet, but Mr Talbot’s mother said she would be there for him when he does.
Pope, of Harding Close, Boverton, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at Cardiff Crown Court on November 21, 2023.
She was sentenced at the court on January 5 where she was sent to prison for three years, four months.
Pope will also serve a five-year, eight month driving ban.
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