A 63-year-old woman who caused a crash in which a motorcyclist suffered “catastrophic” injuries has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Linda Boreham drove her Skoda Octavia the wrong way round a roundabout after leaving the eastbound carriageway of the A14 at Elmswell in March last year and collided with 57-year-old Ian Brown’s oncoming Suzuki GSX, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Mr Brown, of Bacton, suffered “catastrophic” injuries in the crash including fractured ribs, a punctured lung, two broken legs, a smashed pelvis, damaged arteries and short term memory loss, said Charles Kellett, prosecuting.

Mr Brown spent a year in hospital and was released from hospital into rehabilitation last month still unable to walk.

Boreham, 63, of Badwell Ash, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving on March 4 last year.

Sentencing her to a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years, Judge Emma Peters described the physical, mental and financial impact of the accident on Mr Brown and his wife as “utterly devastating and catastrophic”.

“For reasons that will never be entirely clear you went the wrong way round the roundabout,” said the judge.

“This man’s life was utterly destroyed in that moment as a result of what you did,” added the judge.

In addition to the suspended sentence Boreham was ordered to do 280 hours unpaid work and banned from driving for five years, after which she will have to take an extended retest.

Mr Kellett told the court that Boreham had come off the A14 at junction 47 and went up a slip road to a roundabout where the collision occurred.

He said there had been some changes to the road layout in the months prior to the collision but Boreham was aware of them and had used the junction about ten times.

He said Mr Brown was riding his motor bike at 20-30 mph when he saw Boreham’s car in front of him and had no time to react.

Matthew Kerruish-Jones, for Boreham, who has no previous convictions, said his client was genuinely devastated by what had happened.

He said there was no direct reason for what she did. “It wasn’t deliberate. She didn’t intend to drive the wrong way round the roundabout,” said Mr Kerruish-Jones.

He said Boreham deeply regretted the pain and distress she had caused Mr Brown and his family and would change places with him if she could.