A woman has escaped a driving ban after pleading guilty to driving without due care and attention in Rickinghall which led to a collision which injured three people.

Alana Thoms, 22, of Little Green, Burgate, appeared at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court today.

Prosecuting, Lucy Miller said Richard Hilton was driving along the B1113 at Rickinghall at round 7.30pm on Thursday, April 6, with his girlfriend when a car driven by Thoms pulled out of the junction with Fen Street without stopping.

She said their cars collided, with Mr Hilton’s vehicle mounting the bonnet of Thom’s Citroen C1 before coming to rest on the other side of the road

“His vehicle ended up facing the opposite carriageway in the garden of a house that was nearby,” she said.

Mr Hilton suffered a split right ear in the collision as well as injuries to his back and neck and has only recently finished receiving physiotherapy.

His girlfriend suffered bad bruising to her legs and shoulder as well as suffering a muscular injury to her back.

Thom’s boyfriend, who was passenger in her car, suffered a cracked pelvis and a broken leg.

In mitigation, Marta Tomlinson said her client had gone on a walk at Redgrave Fen with her boyfriend after work and was talking the ‘scenic route’ home.

Miss Tomlinson said Thoms did not know the roads very well, so was creeping along at 20mph, but had impaired vision as the sun was setting and was shining in her eyes.

She said: “Miss Thoms is extremely devastated about what happened to Mr Hilton and his partner.

“Miss Thoms moved to the area five months prior so was just getting her local knowledge.

“This was a country road with numerous bends.

“The sun was low and she simply did not see the give way sign.

“Three people were injured as a result of this collision including her boyfriend.

“They both believe the incident to be an likely and unfortunate event.”

Presiding magistrate Colin Reeve handed Thoms a £260 fine and added six penalty points to her licence saying he didn’t feel the incident was above the threshold to enforce a driving ban.

She was also told to pay costs of £85 and a £30 victim surcharge.