A PENSIONER was denied the chance to spend a final few weeks with his terminally ill wife after being hit by a car, his heartbroken daughter has told a court.

Apolena Wilson wept as she spoke of the devastating impact the death of her father Richard Rochester had had on her.

The 79-year-old was knocked over by home carer, Ann Benson, as he tried to cross the road in Blackhall Colliery on November 10 last year.

Benson was sentenced to four months in prison suspended for 12 months after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court.

Yesterday, the court heard how the 63-year-old had been driving to her next appointment when she approached a junction in Middle Street at about 10am.

David Maddison, prosecuting, said Benson turned right at the crossroads in her Vauxhall Agila before hitting Mr Rochester.

Paramedics rushed to the aid of the grandfather but he sustained serious head injuries and had his life support turned off later that day.

The court heard how Mr Rochester would have been 80 last month and Benson was “extremely upset” telling police she had been “dazzled by the sun”.

CCTV confirmed Benson was in the wrong lane to turn right and the prosecution argued the collision would not have occurred if she had been in the correct lane.

Mrs Wilson said losing her father had been “horrendous” and she could “not put into words” the effect it had had on her and her family.

“The last words I ever heard my dad say to me and my mum were ‘I will see you two girls in an hour’ but now I know I will never see or hear him again,” she said. “I saw my dad where it happened lying in the road, it was devastating seeing him like that.”

Mrs Wilson said her parents – who were described as inseparable after 57 years of marriage – did not get the chance to say goodbye as he was “ripped away”.

Mrs Rochester died of cancer less than two weeks later on October 22.

“I know that my mum just gave up after losing him,” she said. “My mother just could not cope with dad’s death and because of it all she was not well enough to go to the funeral.”

“Dad was mum’s carer and she did not get the support and love for him in her last days,” Mrs Wilson added.

Andrew Teate, mitigating, said his client was deeply remorseful and extended her sympathies and apologies to Mr Rochester’s family.

He said Benson, of Park Lane, Horden, had not seen Mr Rochester and was travelling at less than ten miles per hour when she hit him in the “tragic incident”.

The court also heard how Benson – who was of previous good character – was not supposed to be at work that day after agreeing to take on a shift for a colleague.

“There’s nothing that she can do to bring Mr Rochester back even though she wishes she could,” he said.

Magistrate John Robinson banned Benson from driving for two years and ordered her to pay a £115 victim surcharge and £85 in costs.