Man who shouldn't have been driving jailed for killing two women

A man who shouldn’t have been driving because of an eye condition has been jailed for killing two elderly female friends on a road in Southport.

Glyn Jones, 67, of Blackgate Lane in Tarleton, knocked down Mary Cunningham, 79, and Grace Foulds, 87, when they were crossing Lulworth Road around 4:35pm on 30 November 2021.

The two women were good friends and regulars at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Southport. They had been out for the day in Southport town centre and were making their way home. Jones was driving into Southport.  He was seen to only apply the brakes in his Audi car after he’d hit the two women. He eventually came to a stop and stayed at the scene. He tested negative for drink and drugs by police officers.

The two women were taken to hospital but sadly died later that day from multiple injuries. Jones failed a sight test taken after the collision and was told not to

 drive. The DVLA were informed. 

Investigations showed that Mr Jones had an eye condition called “Keratconus" which had been diagnosed 10 years before and he had been advised several times that his eyesight fell far below the legal standard to drive.

But he did not stop driving and didn’t inform the DVLA or his insurers of his condition. He also hadn’t told his insurers or the DVLA about a fine and points he’d received for speeding.

It’s believed he was wearing an old contact lens at the time of the incident. He’d been prescribed new contact lenses but hadn’t collected them from the optician. Even with the lenses, an optometrist had told him his eyesight still fell way below the legal standard to drive.

He told the first witness on the scene that the women had ‘stepped off the kerb to his left’, when in fact they had walked from the drivers right to left and had crossed three quarters of the road when they were hit.

He was arrested and pleaded guilty to two charges of causing death by dangerous driving at Liverpool Crown Court on 3 January 2024.

Today (26 January 2024) at Liverpool Crown Court, he was sentenced to seven years and four months' imprisonment and has been disqualified from driving for five years, with an extended period of four years and 10 months. He must do an extended retest before he can drive again.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Eve Johnson of CPS Mersey Cheshire said: “Glyn Jones had been told on several occasions over a number of years that his eyesight wasn’t good enough to drive, yet he continued to do so despite these warnings.

"He also lied to his insurers, the DVLA and the police about his eyesight issues.

"His lies and recklessness caused the tragic deaths of Mary Cunningham and Grace Foulds, which have left their families devastated. He has shown no remorse at all for what happened on that day.

"He had no right to be behind a wheel and has now been jailed for what he did. Our thoughts remain with the families of Mary Cunningham and Grace Foulds.”