An elderly woman who killed a grandmother when she drove into her at 10mph had only reapplied for her driving licence a couple of months before the incident. Joan Barwick, who was 94 at the time of the crash on April 17 last year, had a 'good driving record' with no previous offences and was deemed fit to drive in January 2026.
However, the Dudley OAP tragically took the life of Linda Wareham, 77, as she was crossing a petrol station entrance with her dog on Hagley Road in Oldswinford. A court heard how Barwick had not been paying proper attention, instead looking at a free disabled parking space.
Court Sentencing
Barwick, of Walker Avenue, in Wollescote, Dudley, was handed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. She had earlier pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Judge Chambers said: “It is right that you have no previous convictions and no previous offences related to driving matters. You have a good driving record. The Crown accepts that in January prior to this offence, you reapplied for your licence, and it was accepted that your sight was satisfactory to continue driving.”
Judge's Remarks
He added: “Nothing I say in imposing sentence can put the clock back nor should any sentence I impose be seen as an attempt to put value on a life that has been lost. The Crown’s case is put on the basis that this was a momentary failure to keep a proper lookout. The Crown accepts that it can be inferred you were not paying proper attention as you should have done. You were simply not looking at what was in front of you, instead looking at an available parking space.”
They added that Mrs Wareham was entirely 'blameless'. The tragic incident has raised concerns about elderly drivers and licence reapplication processes.
