AN ELDERLY driver has received a suspended prison sentence after falling sleep at the wheel and causing a head-on crash which killed a popular Aberystwyth man.

Margaret Christopher, 81, had been looking for a layby to take a break when she failed to even attempt to take a left-hand bend near Lovesgrove and drove straight into Dai England’s Peugeot 208.

Mr England died two days later from injuries to his heart and his central nervous system.

His daughter Rhian, a passenger in the front seat, suffered fractures to her arm, elbow and knee and spent three months in a wheelchair.

For the 48 hours after the crash doctors thought Christopher would die but she survived.

This week at Swnsea Crown Court, Christopher admitted causing death by careless driving. She was jailed for 14 months, suspended for two years, and banned from driving for two years.

In a victim impact statement Mr England’s widow, Mair, said she thought about her soulmate all of the time. They had been married for 44 years and had three children and two grandchildren.

Andrew Nuttall, the barrister representing Christopher, said: “She understands very well that words give little comfort to the family. But all she can say is that she is very, very sorry.”

See this week’s south editions for the full story, in shops now or online by clicking the Digital Editions tab at the top of the page