A 21-year-old delivery driver, Rosie Hanson, has been given a suspended jail sentence after killing a pedestrian while speeding to deliver a pizza. Hanson was sentenced to a 16-month prison term, suspended for two years, at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday for causing the death by careless driving of 27-year-old Ryan Phillips on January 17, 2024.
Mr. Phillips had been walking with his girlfriend, Sophie Rowe, to a restaurant to celebrate him passing his apprenticeship as an IT technician. While they were walking on the pavement around 6:40 p.m. along Marine Parade in Sheerness, Kent, they were struck by Hanson's vehicle. Ms. Rowe reported being hit in the legs before seeing her boyfriend injured.
A post-mortem examination revealed Mr. Phillips sustained a fatal head injury upon striking the car's windshield. Evidence from Hanson's iPhone indicated she was traveling between 54 and 68 mph in a 40 mph zone at the time of the incident. Prosecutor Tom Nicholson stated that Hanson's excessive speed and abrupt steering maneuvers caused the vehicle to become unstable, mount the pavement, and collide with Mr. Phillips and Ms. Rowe.
Hanson, who worked in an administrative role for her father and also delivered pizzas on an ad-hoc basis, told emergency services she thought a cat had run into the road, causing her to swerve. The court found her account of avoiding an animal difficult to confirm.
Judge Julian Smith, referencing expert analysis, estimated Hanson was driving at approximately 60 mph. He described speeding for pizza delivery as "stupid, but it is not of itself malicious." Hanson also received a nine-month concurrent sentence for driving while uninsured, as her policy did not cover business use for her second job.
The judge emphasized that the sentence reflected Hanson's culpability and acknowledged her young age at the time of the offense (19). He noted a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, a low risk of re-offending, and that she posed no danger.
Victim impact statements detailed the profound grief experienced by Mr. Phillips's family and girlfriend. Ms. Rowe described him as a "warm, enthusiastic and generous man" with whom she planned to spend her life. Mr. Phillips's mother called him her "best friend" and a "selfless person" whose future was taken away instantly.
Hanson expressed her apologies to Mr. Phillips's family in a letter read to the court, stating she was deeply sorry and would change the events if she could. She had previously denied the charge of causing death by careless driving but later admitted to causing death while uninsured. The judge ordered Hanson to complete 220 hours of unpaid work and disqualified her from driving for three years, requiring her to pass an extended driving test.
