A woman has been sentenced to seven years and four months in prison for causing the death of a Pwllheli woman in a crash on the A487 Felinheli bypass in April last year.
Jacqueline Mwila, 51, of Mount Pleasant in Swansea, appeared at Llandudno Court on Friday, 4 October after previously pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Shortly before 7pm on Monday, 3 April 2023, Mwila was driving an Audi A3 on the A487 Felinheli bypass, when she collided with a car being driven by Emma Louise Morris from Pwllheli.
Emma, 28, of Ala Road, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her four-year-old son was taken to Alder Hey Hospital with serious injuries.
.jpeg?width=209&height=140&crop=209:145,smart&quality=75)
.png?width=209&height=140&crop=209:145,smart&quality=75)
Mwila was airlifted to hospital in Stoke but discharged from hospital after a few days. Two other people were taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor with serious injuries but were also later discharged from hospital.
Investigating Officer, PC Gareth Rogers of the Serious Collisions Investigation Unit, said: “While Mwila is now behind bars for this offence, nothing is going to bring Emma back, and our thoughts and sympathies remain with her family and friends, who have suffered unimaginable devastation.
“There is no sentence that can ever replace the hole that has been left in their lives, but we hope the passing of this sentence will act as a reminder to all drivers that momentary decisions to lose concentration can have devastating consequences.”
Emma’s family said: “It has been a long, torturous and painful journey to finally get to this point today.
“There is no real justice for Emma.
“Jaqueline Mwila caused her death by dangerous driving, and although she pleaded guilty to all the charges against her, the sentence she was given does not go nearly far enough for us as a family.
“Our lives have been changed forever, shattered, mutilated by the recklessness and carelessness of this woman who chose to drive so dangerously as to kill our daughter without any regard for other road users that day.
“We will try to move forward without our beautiful Emma. A future her two children have to face without their loving mother. Our pain is constant, our hearts remain broken.”
On top of her custodial sentence, Mwila will be disqualified from driving for nine years and 46 weeks and must then take an extended driving test.
“Emma Louise Morris was beautiful inside and out and will leave an enormous void in all of our lives.
“We are very grateful for all the kind words received from family and friends.”
Police appealed for witnesses to the collision, which took place on the A487 bypass between Felinheli and Caernarfon.