A van driver whose careless driving on a Carlisle crossing caused the death of two pedestrians has been jailed.
Marc Large, 49, was heard screaming ‘what have I done?’ following a collision on West Tower Street, just before 1pm on March 1 2021.
It claimed the lives of Terry Abson, 62, who died at the scene, and his long-time partner Gina Lands, 56, who died in hospital seven days later.
As motorcycle trader Large was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court today, a prosecutor summarised deeply moving impact statements from the couple’s son, Harley Abson, which outlined the life-changing impact of the tragedy on him.
Large denied two charges of causing death by careless driving but was convicted following a trial.
He had been on hands-free phone call which ended four seconds after the collision.
Two sisters on board a bus told how they watched the tragedy unfold just metres away, hearing a “massive bang”. One sister heard Large — in the city on business — screaming ‘what have I done?’ in the immediate aftermath.
Large did not give evidence during his trial. In a prepared statement he denied being distracted and said: “I really can’t explain how this collision occurred as I never saw the couple until a split second before I hit them.”
Witnesses saw traffic lights for motorists changing to solid amber as Large, of Gleneagles Road, Sunderland, approached the crossing.
A police crash investigator later concluded: “Mr Large failed to see or recognise pedestrians crossing the road in his vehicle’s path despite them being visible for a significant amount of time — in excess of five seconds; certainly time for him to detect and avoid them.
Opening the case, prosecutor Tim Evans said bystanders also reported hearing the van accelerating towards the crossing. “Racing the lights,” he suggested, adding of the couple: “They had no ability to escape the van’s course.”
Experienced professional driver Large, a man of good character, had shown genuine remorse and sympathy for the deceased’s family, the court heard.
It was a case of lacking concentration for a matter of seconds, said his barrister, Robin Patton. “He is somebody who has been greatly affected, personally, by what has taken place. That much was witnessed at the scene immediately afterwards,” he said.
Large was sentenced by Judge Michael Fanning, who imposed an immediate 18-month prison sentence having said: “I am sure your concentration was not solely on the road ahead of you.”
“This is not a case of ‘but for the grace of god go we all’,” concluded Judge Fanning of what he called Large’s fatal error.
“You made a conscious decision to undertake what was an obviously unsafe manoeuvre in accelerating through and towards a red light without looking into the road ahead of you. The decisions we make as drivers have consequences, sometimes dreadfully so.”
Judge Fanning added of Terry and Gina’s son, Harley Abson, who was present in court for the sentencing hearing: “He has my deepest sympathy.”
Harley also paid a moving tribute to his parents.
He said of his Sheffield-born Navy veteran father Terry: “My father was a kind and jolly man, with a near iron will; nearly always happy, with a great big, often mischievous smile that could light up any room.
“Dad was always willing to help, be it as a handyman for various odd jobs, domestic tasks that friends needed doing, or helping out at the Uma Buddhist Centre.
“He loved a joke, and would often tease and embarrass friends and family, but this was always taken in good spirits. Dad was exceedingly friendly to all; be it a person asking about his beloved dog, to cashiers at the local shops, and he was a pleasant man who could make friends in a heartbeat.
“Dad was always willing to listen when needed and offer up whatever advice he could; be it from personal experience from his many years as a roadie, Navy man and technical know-how from years of tinkering with — and fixing — everything from phone screens to car engines, or just plain common sense.” He was a roadie for the Olly Alcock band, and had worked at Carlisle’s Sands Centre.
Of his Carlisle-born mum, Harley added: “My mother was loving, wilful, creative, and rather imaginative. When I was younger she would create her own bedtime stories to tell me, and others when there was a sleepover with our neighbours at the time.
“She’d make sequels to the ones we really liked and would do her best to involve us in the stories as well, either letting us decide some details or making us characters of our own. One of these she turned into a series, a continuous story she told for years, slowly building a world whose characters I love to this day.
“Instead of buying greetings cards, she would try and make a few by hand, and spent a week helping me do so for a girl l’d had a crush on. She would paint on the windows of our house in winter and sometimes also at Halloween.
“She loved colour, decorating household items in bright colours, and used to let me paint her nails for fun. Mum loved little arts and crafts projects, and was always planning the next one; she talked about making the dog a bed by herself, and fixing up my childhood blanket once she’d gotten some practice.
“On the day of the collision, she had her knitting supplies ready to embark on the next project.”
Of the tragedy’s impact, Harley said: “This incident has naturally been the worst and hardest time in my life, and probably wil remain as such until the time I depart myself.
“At the very least I would hope it is, as I cannot imagine what could be worse. I’ve lost my parents, my best friends, my confidants, and in large parts my ambition and motivation. So much of my life revolved around them; even my hobbies, in part, were enjoyed through being able to share them with my parents.”
Large must serve a two-year driving ban when released from custody.
