AN ‘INEXPERIENCED driver’ who killed a motorcyclist while trying to overtake another vehicle on a stretch of road coined locally as the ‘mad mile’ has avoided an immediate prison sentence.

Kayleigh James, 25, was behind the wheel of a black Nissan Qashqai when she attempted an overtaking manoeuvre on the B3051 between Overton and Kingsclere on June 16, 2021.

Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court heard the car was in the opposite carriageway at the point that she crashed into oncoming motorcyclist James East, from Vernham Dean. 

Prosecuting, Asha Seenauth, said that Mr East riding his Honda CBR motorbike would not have been immediately visible, but added “six seconds onward, prior to the collision, the motorcycle would have been visible to her”.

Mr East, 59, was found on a grass verge and his “motorcycle had suffered considerable damage and had separated into a large number of sections as a result of the impact”. The Qashqai was on its roof, blocking the road.

Mr East was pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem later concluded he died of multiple injuries.

Magistrates were told that Ms James’s young children, who were three years old and nine months old, were in the vehicle at the time of the crash.

When initially questioned by police at the scene, Ms James said she had no memory of what occurred and in later interviews gave ‘no comment’ answers.

READ MORE: 'He was our focal point' - Family of man killed in B3051 bike crash pay tribute

Ms Seenauth said that Ms James was a “relatively inexperienced driver, familiar with the vehicle and the road she was driving on”. It was later denied by her lawyer that she knew the road.

In mitigation, Rob Chandler said that her “remorse is fairly clear in terms of the impact that this has had”.

Mr Chandler said that the stretch of road where the collision occurred is known locally as the "mad mile". 

Mr Chandler said that there are dips on the B3051 which would have impacted Ms James from seeing Mr East, and signage has only been erected to warn drivers following the collision.

He continued: “Ms James spent a week in intensive care. She has a permanent facial scar as a result of what happened. She has been left with life-changing and life-limiting injuries.”

Ms James, of Southampton, previously pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.

On Monday, February 20, she was handed a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months. She was also told to pay £85 court costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

She was also disqualified from driving for 15 months. 

Chair of the bench Steve Vear said: “This crosses more than momentary inattention on the road.”

During the hearing, victim impact statements by Mr East’s family were read out, with his son Matthew saying that he and his brother Christopher “couldn’t have asked for a more active, funnier, supportive and loving man to be our dad”.

Mr East’s mother Barbara said that he was “good fun, caring and happy”. His wife Susan said: “James was the heart our family and the inspiration of everything we have ever done or achieved.”