A MILKMAN found guilty of careless driving following an accident that claimed the life of a young man has been banned from driving for a year and fined £750.

A MILKMAN found guilty of careless driving following an accident that claimed the life of a young man has been banned from driving for a year and fined £750.

Michael Smith was carrying out his milk round in Livermere Road, Great Barton, when he overshot the junction with Mill Road and collided into a Saab.

The driver - 34-year-old Paul Cundill - was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge suffering from serious head injuries, but died six days later.

At a hearing earlier this month, a jury found Smith, 40, of Pulham Market, near Diss, not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, but guilty of the lesser charge of careless driving.

During sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court, Judge Neil McKittrick heard how Smith and his wife - who is licensee of the Falcon Inn in Pulham Market - had been served a repossession notice on the premises and would be homeless within the next month.

“If he loses his driving licence Mr Smith will likely lose his job, and both he and his wife will be unemployed,” said David Wilson, defending, who told the court the couple had debts in the region of £20,000.

“This is a tragic case and one that has hit this defendant hard as well. It has been the downfall of him.”

Judge McKittrick said, because of the careless driving verdict, he could not take Mr Cundill's death into consideration when sentencing Smith.

But he said a new law was due to come into force meaning drivers could be charged with death by careless driving.

The judge also told the court he had been “touched” by the attitude of Mr Cundill's widow, who said in a statement her life would never be the same, but she had no real feelings towards Smith because it would “not do any good”.

Smith was also ordered to pay £100 towards court costs, and a £15 victim surcharge.