A SUFFOLK mother-of-four has been warned that she could face a short prison sentence after being found guilty of causing the death of an 87-year-old woman by careless driving.

Louise McLaren, 38, of Raedwald Close, Bury St Edmunds, had denied the offence but was found guilty by a jury at Ipswich Crown Court after a two-day trial.

Judge Rupert Overbury adjourned sentence until March 17 for a pre-sentence report and told McLaren that he had to decide whether to pass a short prison sentence or sentence her to a community order.

During the trial, the court heard that Joan Pointer and her husband of 60 years, John, were walking along Rougham Road, Bury St Edmunds, on March 2 last year when Mrs Pointer, of Southgate Close, Bury St Edmunds, was knocked over by a Vauxhall Zafira driven by McLaren who had just dropped her son off at Bury Rugby Club for football training.

At the time of the collision, McLaren had been waiting for a gap in the traffic in Rougham Road and had collided with Mrs Pointer, who was using a walking frame, as she edged the car forward.

Mrs Pointer’s foot and walking frame had become trapped under the car and Mrs Pointer had hit her head on the ground. She died in West Suffolk hospital the following day from her injuries.

During the trial, prosecutor Godfried Duah said McLaren would have seen Mrs Pointer if she had looked to her left and in front of her car before pulling out.

Giving evidence, McLaren said she had been “edging forward very, very slowly” and hadn’t seen Mrs Pointer until she was in front of her car.