A WOMAN who killed a much-loved retired head teacher while driving the wrong way down a motorway in a bid to harm herself has been sent to prison.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Ann Marie Crook, 43, drove a black Renault Clio dangerously on the East Lancashire Road on October 31, 2019 before entering an M57 slip road in Kirkby.

Crook, of Cheviot Avenue, Parr crashed into victim Paula Kingdon’s blue Honda Jazz, with the 64-year-old later dying after being airlifted to hospital.

Ms Kingdon was a retired head teacher of Westfield Infants School, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

A judge said Crook’s action was “a profoundly selfish one” if she intended to end her own life “as you were prepared to injure or kill others to achieve your goal”.

Crook had earlier been seen driving at between 92 and 94mph on the East Lancs at Windle Island, in a 40mph zone, five miles away before the crash

Prosecuting, Chris Hopkins, said: “The defendant had driven at grossly excessive speed on the East Lancashire Road before moving into a slip lane.

“She started turning right when traffic lights changed and drove straight at oncoming traffic the wrong way on the exit slip road and then the wrong way on the motorway.

“Paula Kingdon died as a result of the collision. While the reason that the defendant drove in this way is unknown all the evidence is that this was a deliberate act, the defendant intended to harm herself.

“It is one of the main routes for HGVs travelling to and from the port of Liverpool, the approach to the M57 dual carriageway.

“At the time of the collision, the weather was fine and dry.”

Mr Hopkins read a witness account of one of Crook’s colleagues at Bargain Booze in St Helens who said the evening before the crash that she had acted “out of character”.

In it she said Crook was “usually bubbly” but she was “quite withdrawn and unhappy”. She knew that Crook, a mum-of-two, was “insecure and down about her partner having a relationship with another woman”.

Mr Hopkins said when Crook’s phone was seized by police there were “images of motorways, bridges and motorway crash scenes” on it.

He added in interview “the defendant said she couldn’t remember anything” about the crash.

The accounts of several witnesses, other drivers, on the motorway were read out by Mr Hopkins, who expressed “horror” at seeing Crook driving the wrong way.

One said she was “driving in a determined manner” and “with purpose”.

Video footage from a truck was played to the court which showed Crook driving the wrong direction on the slip road.

She was not under the influence of any drink or drugs at the time of the crash.

Mr Hopkins added Crook’s “assertion” that she did not remember the crash “wasn’t something we (the Crown) are able to challenge, given the defendant accepts the Crown’s case that this was a deliberate act. However, that explanation isn’t something the Crown accepts as being the truth”.

He added this explanation made by Crook has “caused great distress to family members of the victim.”

St Helens Star:

Liverpool Crown Court

Defending, Sarah Griffin, said that Crook had written in a letter to the judge that “I truly deserve any sentence you pass”.

Ms Griffin added there is a “low risk of reoffending” and Crook had to receive “critical care” herself in hospital after the crash.

Handing a jail sentence of four years and eight months to Crook, judge Garrett Byrne said: “I would like to start by expressing my condolences to the family members (of Ms Kingdon) present” and acknowledged her death had led to a “physical and mental decline” in her stepfather, who she had cared for.

Judge Byrne added: “The manner of this driving was such that it’s difficult to think of a more serious case.

“The photos on your phone supports the contention that you were trying to end your own life.

“I don’t consider that to mitigate your culpability. If that was your motive, it was a profoundly selfish one because you were prepared to injure or kill others to achieve your goal.

“Paula Kingdon wasn’t responsible for the difficulties you were having. I assess your culpability as high, this was a deliberate act to injure or flagrantly disregard that danger posed to others. You must have realised your driving was bound to cause someone really serious harm, if not their death.

“The consequences of your actions were easily foreseeable.”

The judge accepted Crook expressed “remorse” in her letter to him and gave credit for her early guilty plea to causing death by dangerous driving.

Crook, who remained silent during sentencing, was also banned from driving for five years and four months from today.