A 71-year-old pedestrian was left with fractures in her skull and bleeding in her brain after being knocked down by a van driver while crossing Bond Street.
The Magistrate’s Court heard that Silvio Joao Moniz Calaca (35) knocked the woman down as he turned into the street at 15:00 on 8 July last year.
Calaca admitted causing serious injury by careless driving, and was given a 90-hour community service order and banned from the roads for six months.
Advocate Luke Sette, prosecuting, said that when the woman was injured Calaca had immediately got out of his van to assist her.
She was taken to hospital where the head injuries were identified and she suffered confusion as well as nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
However, he added: "The lady has continued to improve cognitively and physically."
Advocate Mark Boothman, defending, said it was "a low-speed accident" and added: "Mr Calaca has no idea how it happened, which is why he assumed the lady had walked out in front of him.
"He has spent a great deal of time thinking about her and the impact of the accident upon her, and he feels extremely remorseful for it."
Mr Calaca runs his own window-cleaning business and relies on his van for work, so Advocate Boothman asked Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris not to impose a driving ban.
He said: "The loss of his licence means the loss of his business. The loss of his business means part of the family income is gone.
"He is a careful and considerate driver. He made a mistake on that occasion."
However, the Assistant Magistrate said: "In these circumstances a disqualification is unavoidable."
Calaca was also ordered to retake the driving test after the six months have elapsed.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.