A PENSIONER appeared in court on Wednesday charged with causing the death of her husband by careless driving along the A303 near Mere.

Doreen Brazier, 73, pleaded guilty to causing the death of her husband Richard, 73, following the incident on July 17 last year.

Salisbury Magistrates’ Court heard that the couple, from Shropshire, were travelling from Minehead to Hertfordshire, following a short break in Holland. Mrs Brazier lost control of her Peugeot 307 at Charnage Hill and hit a kerb, causing her tyre to deflate.

She tried to regain control of the vehicle but crashed into an oncoming vehicle, a Swiss-registered Honda CRV, and ended up in a field by the road. Mr Brazier was pronounced dead at the scene and Mrs Brazier was taken to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol by air ambulance with serious injuries.

The driver of the other car, a 50-year-old woman, and her two daughters, aged 16 and 18, were treated at Salisbury District Hospital.

Mrs Brazier, who hasn’t driven since the incident, and the driver of the other vehicle, still require treatment for their injuries.

Nick Redhead, defending, said Mrs Brazier had no memory of the incident and urged magistrates to be as lenient as possible in sentencing.

“Frankly if this isn’t an exceptional case then I don’t know what is,” he said. “In many respects she has been punished enough for what happened on that day in July.”

Mrs Brazier, now of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, was given a conditional discharge for 12 months, disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to retake her test before being able to drive again.

She was also ordered to pay £85 costs.