A 90-year-old driver who hit and killed a loving mother on a zebra crossing and then tried to cover his tracks has walked free from court today.
Cyril Fayers, of Wittonwood Road, Frinton, killed Barbara Cyfrowicz on Boxing Day 2014.
He collided with Mrs Cyfrowicz, 54, while she walked across a zebra crossing in Frinton Road, Kirby Cross, at around 5.20pm.
Mrs Cyfrowicz, of Bemerton Gardens, died in Colchester General Hospital two days later.
Fayers, a part-time DJ, did not stop at the scene and police were forced to trace 49 drivers in the area who had red three-door Peugeots in a bid to catch the motorist.
Carolyn Gardiner, prosecuting, told the court after the crash Fayers went to a family member’s home and while they were absent placed a paving slab in the grill of his car, before telling both family and police the damage had been caused by concrete falling from a bridge as he drove.
Initially he also denied he had had the car on the day of the crash, telling officers a niece and her husband had borrowed it to go on holiday to Ireland.
He admitted causing death by careless driving, failing to stop, failing to report an accident and perverting the course of justice at hearing last month.
Evelyn Hicks, mitigating, said Fayers accepted he had “begun a web of untruths” and that there was “no excuse or justification for his behaviour”.
Mrs Hicks added that Fayers was remorseful for his actions and apologised to the family of Mrs Cyfrowicz.
Today he was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court for the offences.
Judge Patricia Lynch QC, sentencing, said: “You’re a man who has reached 90 years of age and who has led a blameless life until that incident.
“Your behaviour thereafter was cowardly, deceitful, manipulative and in short disgraceful – and you must know that.
“You were deceiving not only the authorities, but your own family, to get yourself out of trouble.”
She sentenced Fayers to eight months’ jail for death by careless driving and 12 months’ prison to run consecutively for perverting the course of justice. The 20 month sentence was suspended for two years, with no conditions attached.
Judge Lynch also banned Fayers from driving for life, with no separate penalty for the failing to stop and failing to report and accident charges.
Speaking after the hearing Robert Curry, Mrs Cyfrowicz’s cousin, said: “It is horrendous.
“It was not the fact he ran her over but that he tried to cover everything.
“He still should have got a custodial sentence.”
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