Killer Wellingborough lorry driver jailed after being caught behind wheel again

Darren Sanders, 46, was given a suspended sentence last year after killing George and Vera Maskell, 81 and 80 respectively, in south-west London.

He was also banned from driving for 19 months, a ban which meant he was not allowed to drive until August this year.

But yesterday (Wednesday) Sanders, of Dalkeith Road, appeared before Northampton Crown Court after he was caught behind the wheel in July.

Prosecuting, Priya Bakshi said: “The defendant was driving on the A45 when he was stopped by police.

“Roadside checks revealed he was disqualified from driving, but he told police he had been given his licence back.”

The court heard that the DVLA had sent Sanders his licence in April, ahead of his potential return to the road.

But despite knowing that he was banned until August and that he would have to take an extended re-test, Sanders took the return of his licence to mean that he was allowed to drive.

He also took out an insurance policy and dishonestly said that he had no previous convictions.

At the Old Bailey last year, Sanders was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving but convicted of causing death by careless driving after failing to spot the Maskells in the middle of the road.

The elderly couple died 45 minutes after Sanders’ lorry hit them.

Yesterday, Sanders pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and making a false statement on his insurance claim.

Mitigating, Liam Muir said Sanders had made a ‘series of errors’ but said he had learning difficulties and that prior to the fatal collision he had never been before a court.

His Honour Judge Timothy Fowler activated seven months of Sanders’ suspended sentence.

The sentence will run consecutively to a one-month jail term for driving while disqualified, but concurrently to a one-month term for making the false insurance statement.

He will spend half of his eight-month jail term in custody before being released on licence.