Connah's Quay woman sentenced for dangerous driving

Gabriela Pastuszak, of Cambrian Close in Connahs Quay, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday for sentence.

The 26-year-old had previously admitted that on April 14 this year, she drove dangerously at Hall Lane in Connah's Quay.

Richard Edwards, prosecuting, told the court that in the leadup to the offence the defendant and her then boyfriend had been having relationship difficulties.

He had spent a number of days in a hotel and on April 14, he turned his phone on - allowing her to locate him.

She drove to Wepre Park, where he was having a cigarette, and as he set off Pastuszak caught up with him.

She collided with the rear door of his vehicle with enough force to set his airbags off.

Mr Edwards said the defendant was angry and shouted at her partner.

He started to drive away, but she followed.

And in Hall Lane she decided to try overtaking him on a blind hill brow which bent to the left.

She had no vision of oncoming traffic, Mr Edwards said, and collided head on with another vehicle.

She made full admissions that she was the cause of the accident, which saw the other car written off and the driver injured.

Stephen Ferns, defending, said: "This incident has been very difficult for Ms Pastuszak. She accepts the events have turned out a lot better than they possibly could have done.

"It's not lost on her that her life, the partner's life, the other driver's life and her unborn child were at risk."

He explained his client had acted in the way she did following her then-partner's disappearance from the house they shared without any explanation or indication the relationship had problems.

She accepted have "taken leave of her senses" when she spotted him, he added.

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Judge Niclas Parry told the defendant: "You lost your temper, and drove out of control.

"And you could have killed three people, as well as your unborn child.

"You had one thing in your mind - you wanted to get in front of him.

"You're now all alone and heavily pregnant, expecting your child any day."

Judge Parry said because the defendant was a lady of previous good character, and putting the welfare of her child above everything else, he could draw back from immediate custody.

He handed down a term of nine months imprisonment, but suspended it for one year.

Pastuszak must undertake 20 days of rehabilitation activity and pay £150 towards prosecution costs, as well as a £156 victim surcharge.

She was banned from driving for a year.

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