By James MortlockA MOTHER is beginning to rebuild her life today after she was cleared of causing the death of her two-year-old son by dangerous driving.

By James Mortlock

A MOTHER is beginning to rebuild her life today after she was cleared of causing the death of her two-year-old son by dangerous driving.

A jury took just under three hours yesterday to find Louise Boss, 34, of New Cheveley Road, Newmarket, not guilty.

Boss threw back her head in relief as the jury foreman read out the decision following a two-day trial at Bury St Edmunds Crown Court. She then turned and smiled at her family in the public gallery.

Speaking after the hearing, Boss - who lives with her surviving son - said a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

With the strain of the past few days clearly showing on her face, she added: “I feel completely relieved.

“I believe I got the right result today and now me and my son and the rest of my family can all get on with our lives and look to the future.”

Boss' son Shane died after he was thrown through the rear windscreen of her car when it went out of control, smashed into oncoming traffic and was catapulted into a roadside ditch on the A134 near Cockfield.

She had accepted driving carelessly in relation to the incident in April last year and the jury found her unanimously guilty of the offence.

Sentencing her, Judge Nicholas Beddard banned Boss from driving for six months and fined her £125.

“I recognise that the last year has been a very great strain for you. It's obvious and doesn't really need saying. What does need saying is that members of your family were not the only victims,” he said.

Judge Beddard added Boss had “suffered the worst”, but the tourists in a Ford Fiesta hit by her Toyota car had suffered the “fright of their lives” as well as injuries.

He said Boss - who has a list of previous convictions for minor motoring offences, including driving without insurance and without an MoT, as well as a conviction for careless driving last year which is likely to be the subject of an appeal - had had “not got a very good” record.

“There is a degree of irresponsibility in a number of the matters,” added Judge Beddard. “I'm sure you want to put these matters behind you as quickly as you can. This was a case of careless driving with disastrous consequences.”

During the trial, it was alleged Boss had been speeding and overtaking after heavy rain before the back wheels of her car went out of control and she smashed into the Fiesta on the other side of the road.

Her car then “flew” into a roadside ditch - sending Shane and another child flying from the back seat.

Both children were found on land surrounding the car, with Shane lying motionless about 20 metres away. He was taken to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, but died the following evening.

Richard Potts, mitigating, said Boss had accepted careless driving, but insisted she had not caused Shane's death by dangerous driving.

“She knows she is to blame for the loss of Shane and the injuries to herself and other passengers and the driver of the other car. But the evidence didn't show Louise Boss was driving dangerously,” he added.

james.mortlock@eadt.co.uk