Jonathan Ginder, a former Army major, killed his girlfriend, who was riding pillion on his motorcycle when he crashed into a car on the A1M in Hertfordshire.
Ginder of Hall Street, Soham, Cambridgeshire, was given a suspended jail sentence today.
Ria Malone, a 56-year-old mother-of-two and nurse at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, was killed.
Incident Details
Ginder did not see a black Mazda car in the outside lane when he came onto the northbound carriageway at junction six between 56 and 68mph just before midday on January 11, 2020.
His BMW motorbike came into contact with the nearside rear door of the Mazda and then hit the central reservation.
He suffered a broken left tibia and knee ligament damage, leaving him immobilized for six months.
The Mazda had been traveling at 70mph. The fatal crash was captured on the dashcam from a van that was traveling behind.
Ginder joined the army in 1976, went to Sandhurst, and served in the Royal Artillery.
He served in Northern Ireland and was a Major in 1992 when he was honorably discharged.
Trial & Jailed
He appeared for sentencing at St Alban’s Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.
Ginder passed a ten-month jail sentence suspended for two years.
He must abide by a curfew for four months between 8 pm and 6 am and was banned from driving for a year.
Prosecutor Will Noble said: ‘The prosecution say he performed some observations but failed to notice the Mazda in lane two.
‘He crossed lane one in a second and did not allow himself sufficient time to move to lane two.
‘Had he paused, he would have seen the Mazda and would not have moved out.
‘The prosecution say it was not far short of dangerous driving. He had traversed from the slip road to lane two in just 3.2 seconds.’
The court heard that Ms. Malone had been Ginder’s girlfriend for three years.
Defending, Trevor Burke QC said Ginder was a man of good character with no previous convictions.
Who is Sara Jama? Wiki, Biography, Age, Arrested, Crime, Investigation
Mr. Burke said: ‘He has not ridden a motorcycle since the incident and has no intention of riding a motorbike again.
‘This incident brief as it was tragic. It was not preceded by persistent or terrible driving.
‘As he entered the A1M, he adopted the right shoulder turn.
‘The victim was his partner – he loved her, and she loved him. They were committed to spending the rest of their lives together. She had adopted his passion for motorcycles.
‘She had passed her test and bought her bike. They would go on motorcycling holidays together.
‘She was a dedicated nurse at Addenbrooks. She had numerous friends and admirers.
‘She was plainly much-loved, not least of all by the defendant.’
Judge Michael QC Kay said: ‘This was a tragedy. There have been terrible consequences for the defendants and Ria Malone’s family, who sit in court. There is nothing I can do to put matters right.
‘Nobody intended this to happen. Nobody wanted this to happen. On all measures, it is a terrible tragedy.’
