Jail for Northampton man who killed 'much-loved' Corby grandmother by driving on wrong side of road

Sylvia Best was killed when Patryk Gowarzewski collided head-on with another car after driving the wrong way down the A43.

A driver who killed a 85-year-old grandmother in a head-on collision on a Northamptonshire road has been jailed.

Patryk Gowarzewski, of Dundee Street, Northampton, drove on the wrong side of the A43 near Broughton for nine seconds before the fatal crash in January 2019.

Mum-of-two Sylvia Best was a passenger in the oncoming blue Hyundai and was on her way back home from evening out in Northampton.

She was airlifted to University Coventry Hospital but sadly died two days later.

At Gowarzewski's sentencing yesterday (November 2). Northampton Crown Court heard how the 31-year-old - who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving - had been driving on-and-off for 16 hours straight that day.

He later told police he was not tired at the time and claimed his sat nav had led him the wrong way - but Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane dismissed these claims.

She said: "You failed to understand the signage and warnings on the road.

"I accept you are genuinely remorseful... But you continue to maintain your false account that the navigation system tried to direct you the wrong way and that visibility was not good, which is wrong."

The court also heard how the 31-year-old was banned from driving for 17 months in 2016 for drink driving.

Gowarzewski's defence barrister told the judge his client had written a letter of apology he wished to have read out to Mrs Best's family - but none of the Corby grandmother's family were able to attend court to hear it.

The court also heard how the driver of the blue Hyundai Mrs Best was riding in was severely injured in the crash and required surgery.

Judge Lucking said: "Your complete failure to understand the layout of the road had terrible consequences, resulting in the loss of Sylvia Best and injury to another driver.

"This offence is so serious it can only a sentence of immediate custody is appropriate."

Gowarzewski was jailed for 27 months. He was also disqualified from driving for a total of five years.