Farmer worker fails in appeal bid

A FARM worker who caused the death of his estranged lover on the night they tried to repair their relationship has failed in a bid to win a cut in his jail term.

Andrew Cook, of Lodge Villas, Earl Soham, Suffolk, pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court in January this year to causing the death of Helen Green by careless driving.

Cook, 42, who was over the drink-drive limit when his car smashed into a tree, received a three-year prison sentence.

His legal team told two top judges sitting at London's Court of Appeal that he is deeply remorseful for what happened, and he is suffering from depression and suicidal tendencies.

They added he was formerly of good character, but Mr Justice Owen, sitting with Mr Justice Fulford, said his sentence could not be described as "manifestly excessive".

"There can be no doubt that Cook is deeply affected by what he has done," said the judge.

"He shows deep and genuine remorse and there have been times when he has wished he had died in the accident.

"He is deeply conscious of the loss and distress he has caused to Miss Green's family."

But the judge added that Cook knew the road well, and must have known he would be over the drink-drive limit as he had drunk four pints shortly before the accident.

The judge told the court that Cook had been living with Miss Green for nine years, but in the weeks before the accident - which occurred on October 1, 2003 - they had split up.

She returned to live with her parents, but Cook persuaded her to go to the pub in a bid to try and get their relationship back together.

However the night didn't go well, and Cook later admitted to police that he had been "het up" when the pair left the pub.

Nevertheless, Miss Green agreed to go for a drive with him, and on a road Cook had driven "hundreds of times before" he lost control of his car on a bend.

He told officers he had been travelling too fast and Miss Green, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown out of the car and died of her injuries.