A man has received a suspended prison sentence after driving into a pensioner and her dog in Clacton and leaving them injured in the road.
Conor Bruff, 23, of Blenheim Road, was handed a 12 week sentence, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty at Colchester Magistrates' Court to driving without due care and attention, failing to stop after an accident, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.
Bruff was driving a Vauxhall Van in Wash Lane at around 3.40pm on Monday March 4 when as he made the turn into Arnold Road, he collided with victim Valerie Grove, aged in her 70s, and her little Bichon Frise dog, Beau.
Bruff stopped his van for a moment and got out to speak to Mrs Grove, who was laying in the middle of the road in shock.
He then got in his van and drove off over the pavement.
Mrs Grove suffered serious bruising as a result of the collision, leaving her unable to walk properly for several weeks after the crash.
Her little dog Beau suffered a serious leg injury, which cost a four figure sum to treat.
He has now made a full recovery.
Speaking after her recovery, Mrs Grove thanked those who came to her aid.
She said: "I would like to thank the emergency services, both the East of England Ambulance Service and Essex Police, for the professional and compassionate care given to myself and my beloved little dog Beau at the scene of the incident, as well as the A&E staff at Colchester Hospital.
"I would also like to thank PC Mark Hercules, who treated this case with kindness and understanding, and really helped us.
"I would especially like to express my sincere gratitude to all the members of the public who came to our assistance, in particular Len and Emma of Wash Lane and also my wonderful neighbours, Mrs Nicky Marsh and Mrs Janet Barker who helped me in so many ways during my recovery.
"Finally, I am delighted to report that Beau has made a complete recovery, thanks to the expertise of 'supervet' Mr Richard Pettit of Hadleigh Veterinary Practice, who successfully performed an extremely complex operation on Beau's injured leg.
"He is now as good as new and is taking me for walks."
Investigating officer, PC Mark Hercules, of Stanway's Road Traffic Policing Unit, said: "I believe that Bruff has shown remorse for his actions, but that doesn't excuse his behaviour that afternoon.
"Not only did he get behind the wheel of a van that didn't belong to him and that he didn't have a licence for, he then failed to act in the best interest of the victim by continuing about his day.
"He could have called for help and waited until officers arrived, but his actions were careless and inexcusable."
Bruff must also undertake 80 hours of unpaid work and has been disqualified from driving for 12 months.
He was ordered to pay a three-figure sum in costs.
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