Gemma Clout jailed for causing death by dangerous driving

Gemma Clout, of Bewsey, callously stepped over her critically injured victim as she made her escape and even told police that her car had been stolen.

This afternoon, Monday, the 32-year-old was handed six years behind bars at Chester Crown Court after admitting causing Patrick Moore’s death by dangerous driving.

The court heard that the beloved granddad was walking home on Halton Brook Avenue in Runcorn at around 11.30pm on October 6 2019 when Clout struck him with her Fiat Punto while attempting to turn the vehicle around.

She had been driving to the shop to buy cigarettes, having been binging on a cocktail of vodka, peach schnapps and cocaine since around 5pm as she celebrated the completion of her counselling diploma.

Having mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, she mounted the kerb before crashing through a fence in an incident captured on CCTV – with the car eventually coming to a halt in a bush.

But the mum-of-three then fled the scene, clambering out of her car via the passenger’s side door – besides which Mr Moore was lying gravely injured.

He was rushed to Aintree Hospital and had been in a critical condition, having suffered injuries including a fractured skull and broken ribs, but died five months later aged 62 on March 11 last year.

Patrick Moore with his daughters

Clout was picked up from the scene of the crash by her boyfriend before being dropped off at her grandma’s house in Warrington.

When police attended the address later that night, she claimed that she had been there since 9pm and that her vehicle was at her then home in the Tithings area of Runcorn – suggesting that it had been stolen during a burglary.

Toxicology tests taken at around 2.30am the following morning revealed that she was still more than twice over the drink driving limit and also had cocaine and benzoylecgonine in her system.

Clout, of Folly Farm Close, also pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident, drink driving and two counts of drug driving.

She will serve half of her sentence in prison before being released on licence, and will then be subjected to a four-year driving ban.

The defendant, who has no previous convictions, turned away with her head bowed as Mr Moore’s five daughters read out statements describing the impact his death had had.

Sentencing, judge Simon Berkson said: “This case can properly be described as tragic.

“You contended that you had no idea that you had collided with Patrick Moore, but this seems a remote possibility.

“The circumstances showed that you had no care for anyone but yourself at that time.

“Mr Moore will be greatly missed be all who loved him, in particular his five daughters.

“He was taken before his time by your selfish and dangerous actions.

“I’ve said that this is a tragic case, but it should never have happened – you only have yourself to blame.

“This is a serious case with appalling consequences, and no sentence I impose can compensate for this.”

Members of Mr Moore’s family reacted angrily to the sentence, with one shouting ‘murder’ as the former Royal Mail worker was led down to the cells.

Scenes became heated when a member of the public attending in support of Clout responded by saying ‘shut up you d***head’.

She was also ordered to take an extended retest and told to pay a victim surcharge.

Detective constable Lisa Evans-Hill, who led the investigation on behalf of Cheshire Police’s roads and crime unit, said: “Gemma Clout told us during a voluntary interview she had never taken cocaine before the night of the fatal collision and that she doesn’t often drink and that alcohol affects her badly.

“Yet on Saturday, October 5 2019, she took the decision to drive to the shops to buy cigarettes after drinking all night and snorting cocaine.

“That decision ended up costing a dad-of-five his life.

“Whilst under the influence of the drink and drugs that had clearly impaired her ability to drive safely, she also made the decision to flee the scene of the collision.

“She fled whilst an innocent man was lying on the floor with serious injuries she had inflicted.

“He sadly died of those injuries in hospital five months later.

“Clout initially claimed that she had not been driving the car and gave us false information in a bid to make us think that a thief had stolen the vehicle and run the victim over.

“Less than a week later, however, she requested a meeting with officers and confessed to the crimes she committed that night.

“She made it clear that she was ashamed of her actions, and rightly so.

“Patrick Moore’s death was entirely preventable.

“Driving a motor vehicle is a privilege, not a right, and it comes with great responsibility to act within the rules laid down when you pass your test.

“When you deliberately ignore those rules you put yourself and other people at considerable risk, as this tragic case shows.

“I hope that this incident, and the custodial sentence that Clout has been handed by Chester Crown Court, deters others from drink or drug driving.

“I also hope the fact Clout is now behind bars facing the consequences of her actions provides the victim’s family with some closure and enables them to begin to move forward with their lives.

“Our thoughts remain with the family, who have been left devastated by Patrick’s senseless death.”

Clout’s boyfriend Aaron Ryan, also of Folly Farm Close, previously admitted driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and putting the safety of passengers at risk in relation to the incident.

The 31-year-old was handed an eight-week imprisonment suspended for a year at Warrington Magistrates Court in March last year, having driven his partner – as well as two of her daughters, who had been in the back of the car – away from the scene in a two-seater van while banned from the road.

He was also disqualified from driving for an additional 12 months, told to serve a rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to pay £85 in court costs and a £122 victim surcharge.

David Keane, police and crime commissioner for Cheshire, added: “Road safety is one of my key priorities, and tragic incidents such as this is the reason why.

“Collisions are the biggest killer in Cheshire and, sadly, Patrick was one of 36 people who lost their lives on our roads in 2019.

“That’s 36 people who didn’t come home and 36 families who had their whole worlds completely shattered.

“One death is too much, and there have been too many deaths and serious injuries in Cheshire in recent times that were caused by certain driving behaviours.

“I applaud the officers involved in this case for their hard work to achieve justice for the victim’s family, and I am committed to continuing to work with Cheshire Constabulary and partner agencies to reduce the number of serious incidents on our roads and motorways.”