A Life Sentence
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This was my mother two years ago: This was the newspaper where she had been features editor for 40 years: This was the zebra she crossed on her way home from work on the night of November 26th 2013: This was the consultant from the adjacent hospital who failed to stop in time: This is the hospital where my mother spent five months recovering from her injuries: This is how many times the court hearing was delayed to accommodate the driver's defence team: This is the magistrates court where the trial took place 18 months later: This was the sentence, along with costs and a £15 victim surcharge, when the driver was found guilty of driving without due care and attention: This is the sentence my mother, brain-damaged, disabled and dependent, is serving: A stiffer sentence would not change anything. The driver was not speeding or phoning or drunken. He made a fleeting mistake. A mistake anyone of us could make when we drive a