BREAKING: Woman, 96, spared jail after becoming oldest ever convicted of causing death by dangerous driving

Brenda Joyce was a pedestrian when a Vauxhall Corsa driven by 96-year-old June Millls mounted the pavement and struck her. She sustained a head injury and died of her injuries

A 96-year-old woman has avoided jail after becoming the oldest woman in the UK to be convicted death by dangerous driving.

June Mills told the court she "panicked" and mounted the curb in her Vauxhall Cora, hitting two people on the pavement and a stationary Jaguar, before rolling to a stop. The elderly woman, who is too frail to walk more than a few paces, admitted in court that her driving was "far below standard" when she hit Brenda Joyce, who died after she sustained a serious head injury.

Ms Joyce, 76, was pronounced dead at the scene by medics, with another woman, aged 80, suffering minor injuries following the crash in Formby, Merseyside on August 2, last year. Today she appeared at Liverpool Crown Court and was given an 18-month suspended sentence.

The court had previously heard she accidentally applied too much accelerator when she caused the accident. She pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Defending Mills, Tom Gent, argued that she was of previous good character and that she would be unfit to carry out unpaid work.

He added that her mobility had worsened since the collision, and accepted that she was driving "far below standard" when the crash took place. He said: “The accelerator pedal fell down beneath her foot, she panicked and failed to react to that. She accepts by her plea that was driving that was far below standard.”

Following the collision last August, a spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "We received a report that a Vauxhall Corsa had mounted a pavement and collided with two pedestrians and two stationary vehicles on Elbow Lane.

"A 76-year-old woman, who was one of the pedestrians, was treated at the scene by paramedics after sustaining a serious head injury but was sadly pronounced dead. Her next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. The other pedestrian, an 80-year-old woman, suffered only slight injuries. The driver of the Vauxhall Corsa is continuing to assist police with their enquiries."