Woman who drank "five pints and measure of spirit" before killing cyclist on drive home from pub jailed for six years

A drink-driver who drank "five pints and a measure of spirit" during an evening-long pub session before driving home, hitting and killing a cyclist while speeding at 38mph on a 30mph road has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Vicky Hardy was jailed at Newcastle Crown Court for her actions in the early hours of a morning in July 2022, the Sunderland Echo reports, CCTV from The Jolly Potter pub showing the 44-year-old consuming numerous drinks before getting into her car, despite being "unsteady on her feet", and attempting to drive home.

CCTV from a nearby hostel showed Hardy mounting the pavement as she tried to leave the pub's car park, the drink-driver soon after hitting and killing a "beloved" man described as "generous, kind and harmless" by his family.

Ali Reza Ghaisar was cycling on Hylton Road when Hardy hit him at 38mph as she attempted to drive the journey home of just over a mile from the pub she had spent around six hours at, drinking "five pints and a measure of spirit".

Mr Ghaisar was thrown across the road to the other side of the carriageway by the impact, the local press reporting that the court heard he was "fully lit up" but suffered catastrophic injuries caused by Hardy. Members of the public attempted CPR until paramedics arrived, but he died at the scene.

While those at the scene attempted to save Mr Ghaisar's life, Hardy fled but was caught on camera returning to the crash site, before again driving off and returning home.

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told the sentencing hearing: "The defendant had spent the hours before the offence drinking with her partner in the public house the Jolly Potter just over a mile from the location of the incident. CCTV footage from the pub shows defendant arrive just after 7pm in the evening parking in the pub car park.

"Her home address at the time was about one-and-a-half miles from the premises. She remained there to about 1:15, during which time cameras showed her consuming about five pints and a measure of spirits. By the time the defendant left with her partner she appeared to be unsteady on her feet.

"A later analysis resulted in the calculation that the defendant was travelling at a speed of about 38mph on a road which is a 30mph limit. The defendant did not stop, only appearing to brake. The vehicle was seen to continue to travel east towards Hylton Road.

"The defendant called her mother to say she thought she had killed someone. Family members gathered at her address and attempts were made to get her to call police."

Hardy was arrested the following day, when officers were called to her address. Her legal representation, Tony Cornberg, told the hearing she just wants her "punishment to start", the judge subsequently jailing her for six years and adding an eight-year driving ban to the sentence.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Ghaisar's sister-in-law explained how the family had been in Turkey on holiday when a friend told them he had been killed.

"My mother-in-law was in our home country of Iran. I told her to get the first flight to the UK," she said. "I could not tell her over the phone what she was alone as she would have collapsed. When she arrived in the UK I told her her son was no longer with us. It's been two years since Ali was killed and for the last two years my mother-in-law has cried every day for her son. I have noticed a change in my husband since his brother was killed."

The sister-in-law also explained how Mr Ghaisar often met with refugees and members of the public in need, "would always put others before himself" and "would give his last penny even if it meant Ali had nothing".

"From the bottom of my heart, I urge the court to give justice to Ali," she said.