Cannabis-fuelled van driver kills 94-year-old woman - before accelerating over her body

Edgaras Kondratas failed to spot Sylvia Bentley and backed his Mercedes Sprinter van into the woman as she walked home in Weymouth, Dorset, and she sustained "catastrophic" injuries

A van driver high on cannabis reversed his vehicle into a 94-year-old woman and killed her - before accelerating over her body.

Edgaras Kondratas, 40, had not checked his reversing camera because it was "uncomfortable" to look at, backing his Mercedes Sprinter van into Sylvia Bentley as a result. But rather than stopping his van to get out to check what happened, Kondratas then drove forward over her body, a court heard.

Ms Bentley, who was two weeks away from turning 95, suffered "catastrophic" injuries and prosecutors said there was "nothing on this earth" that could have saved her. And now Kondratas, who is Lithuanian, has been convicted of causing death by driving without due care and attention whilst over the specified limit for a controlled drug. He will be sentenced at a later date at Winchester Crown Court.

The jury was told Kondratas, who was collecting clothing donations for charity, realised he had hit something but he drove forward before stopping the car to get out and check what had happened. He could then be seen on the side cameras of the van calling the police and telling them he had killed someone.

The prosecution said he had not done the necessary checks to ensure it was safe to reverse. The driver, of Southampton, had not checked his reversing camera because it was "uncomfortable" to look at. The court heard that Kondratas was also over the limit for cannabis with 2.8 micrograms in a litre of his blood and he told police he had consumed the drug the night before The legal limit is 2 micrograms per litre of blood.

Kondratas had also been driving for seven hours at the time he hit Mrs Bentley, having started his shift at 5.30am. The collision happened as Mrs Bentley attempted to walk home in Weymouth, Dorset, at around 12.30pm.

Charles Gabb, prosecuting, said: "[Mrs Bentley's] death was completely avoidable, there is only one person responsible and that is the defendant," Mr Gabb said. "The defendant reversed his Mercedes Sprinter van without properly checking it was safe to reverse and this old lady was in a blind spot behind his van.

"As he reversed he struck her, she never heard it coming because there was no beeping noise. The defendant realised something was wrong, he realised he may have hit something so he stopped but instead of getting out to look he drove forward and as he drove forward he drove over Mrs Bentley.

"She suffered catastrophic head injuries and she died there and then, it was a tragic scene for this old lady. In many ways one could say that was the only good thing about it, Mrs Bentley did not suffer any more."

Mr Gabb explained that because it has no rear window the van had two side cameras and a rear camera as well as reversing sensors, although these were not working on the day Mrs Bentley died. He added: "[The defendant] goes to the rear of his van and his confronted with the reality of what happened, he immediately realised that this person, this body in the road, was dead. That caused the defendant to be distressed, we can see him calling the police and telling them he had killed someone. [The van] was fitted with reversing sensors but they were not working, all the more reason to focus attention on the camera.

"It is blindingly obvious he should have looked into the camera to know whether it was safe to reverse or not. The sad reality is the defendant did not check the camera, what was his excuse for not checking the camera? It was uncomfortable. That is a complete non-starter, even if it was uncomfortable there is no excuse for failing to do it. The police went to the scene, it seems they got there before the paramedics, and everyone realised that nothing on this earth could save her."

Speaking to the jury, he added: "This lady should never have died on that day, her death is his responsibility." Kondratas is due to be sentenced at a later date.