Soldier ‘was on Instagram’ when she killed cyclist in horror crash after sending EIGHTEEN messages from behind wheel

A SERVING British Army worker who killed a cyclist portion distracted by her telephone has been jailed for six years and 8 months.

Sophie Waugh, 31, was down the instrumentality erstwhile she smashed into 71-year-old Ian Morris, a much-loved husband, father, and grandfather, connected a North Yorkshire road.

Teesside Crown Court heard however Waugh had sent 18 messages and locked and unlocked her telephone 10 times portion driving—just moments earlier the deadly collision.

When her telephone yet locked, the Instagram app was unfastened connected the screen.

Mr Morris, from Bedale, died instantly astatine the scene.

His devastated household said: "The symptom whitethorn dim, but our lives volition ne'er beryllium the aforesaid again."

A deadly distraction

Waugh, a worker with the Royal Logistics Corps, had been driving location from Alanbrooke Barracks erstwhile she ploughed into Mr Morris connected the A6055 Leeming Lane adjacent Kirklington connected June 28, 2023.

Digital forensic experts revealed a shocking timeline of telephone activity.

In her solo travel starring up to the crash, Waugh sent 13 messages connected Facebook Messenger and six connected Snapchat, on with aggregate surface interactions.

The tribunal was told she ne'er saw Mr Morris contempt him wearing a high-visibility fluorescent greenish cycling jersey and a flashing reddish rear light.

Witnesses described however it was Waugh’s car that veered towards him—contradicting her archetypal claims that helium had swerved into her path.

‘Wholly avoidable tragedy’

Detective Constable Laura Cleary, from North Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Investigation Team, said: “Waugh claimed during police interrogation that she had not seen Mr Morris and adjacent suggested that helium indispensable person swerved retired successful beforehand of her car.

"Witnesses challenged her mentation of events, stating that Mr Morris was riding usually and intelligibly visible.

“The horrific consequences of being distracted by mobile phones are plain to spot successful this case.

"This is simply a stark wake-up telephone for anyone tempted to usage their telephone portion driving.”

Waugh was handed a six-year, eight-month prison condemnation and banned from driving for 5 and a fractional years.

She indispensable besides instrumentality an extended driving trial earlier being allowed backmost down the wheel.

Family’s heartbreak

Mr Morris' household person been near shattered by their loss.

His wife, Pauline, described the agony of losing her spouse of astir 50 years: “To me, helium was my everything—friend, lover, partner, and teammate. I consciousness similar my aboriginal has conscionable been cancelled.”

His son, Jon, recalled the devastating infinitesimal helium learned of his father's death: “I inactive retrieve the fearfulness successful my mum’s dependable erstwhile she rang maine successful implicit panic.

"Instead of a hospital, we had the harrowing hold for the constabulary to corroborate the devastating news we already knew heavy down was coming.”

His different son, Tim, said: “I consciousness the nonaccomplishment of my begetter each day.

"We shared a passionateness for golf and an allotment—we did everything together.

"Now I can’t carnivore to spell backmost to the allotment. It was our place.”

The sentence, they say, is thing compared to their lifelong grief.

“Our lives volition ne'er beryllium the aforesaid again,” Jon added.

“There volition everlastingly beryllium a portion of our household and our hearts missing.”