Mum escapes jail term due to son's serious injuries

Mum escapes jail term due to son's serious injuries in Lincoln crash
Lincolnshire Echo
THE mother of a man seriously injured in a city centre road smash escaped an immediate jail sentence so that she can care for her son when he is released from hospital.

Amanda Calvert, also known as Dent, stole her 84-year-old uncle's life savings to feed her gambling addiction, but recorder Keith Raynor suspended her sentence because the impact the crash has had on her family.

Her son ,Martin Dent, is said to have been seriously injured and had an arm amputated as a result of the smash in Lindum Hill in the early hours of Friday.

It is believed Mr Dent, 31, was one of a number of people inside the Volkswagen Golf hatchback when it struck a wall outside the Usher Art Gallery.

Amanda Calvert's barrister, Caroline Bradley, told the hearing: "This lady's son was involved in a very serious road traffic accident. I understand one of his arms has been amputated.

"He is not brain damaged, but he has sustained very severe physical injuries.

"The likely prognosis is that he will be in hospital for at least two weeks. Thereafter, this defendant is going to be involved in his care for a very considerable period of time."

Calvert, 48, of Swift Gardens, Lincoln, admitted theft between January 1 and February 7 this year.

She was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 18 months' supervision and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Recorder Raynor told her: "Had your son not been involved in the accident, you would be going to prison today.

"It is only the wholly exceptional circumstances that has led to this sentence being suspended.

"This was wicked offending against a vulnerable person."

Katrina Wilson, prosecuting, said James Calvert trusted his niece to look after his bank account and to transfer money between his savings and his debit account.

Due to the pensioner's mobility problems preventing him from getting to his bank Amanda Calvert was added as a second signatory to the accounts allowing her to move money around as required.

She withdrew cash from the savings account for her own use. By early February there was just £17 left in the account and Calvert walked into Lincoln Police Station and confessed.

Miss Wilson said: "She stated she had a gambling addiction and having access to such a large amount of money had been too tempting.

"She began withdrawing money to use at the bookmakers. Initially, when she won, she would pay it back but things spiralled out of control. She stole between £3,500 and £4,000."