Prison for Rugby man who killed a pedestrian when he lost control of his high-performance car in the town

And Stephen Milligan was jailed for three years after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to causing the death of 60-year-old Margaret Adams by dangerous driving.

Milligan (56) of Evans Road, Rugby, who said he had been reacting to ‘goading’ by the driver of a car ahead of him, was also disqualified from driving for eight-and-a-half years.

Prosecutor Madhu Rai said the tragic incident took place in Bilton Road, Rugby, at 6.40 in the evening on February 3 last year when it was dark, but street lights were on and it was dry.

Milligan was driving a Nissan 350z rear-wheel-drive sports car from the direction of Rugby behind an Audi which was also speeding.

“He lost control of his car which left the road and mounted the kerb and a grassed area and then went over an area of block paving and onto a path, colliding with pedestrian Margaret Adams, causing her fatal injuries.

“It then crossed back onto the road, still out of control, and collided with a Toyota on the opposite side of the road, causing it to rotate 90 degrees.”

The Audi kept going, but the driver then returned to the scene on foot and gave his details to the police, although he has not faced any prosecution.

Milligan remained at the scene and gave a negative breath test, but did have traces of cocaine in his system.

In the custody block following his arrest, Milligan made the telling comment: “There was an idiot goading me in an Audi, and that’s why this happened. I don’t know why I b****y reacted.”

CCTV recordings showed Milligan’s blue Nissan behind the white Audi as they travelled along St Matthew Street and round the gyratory system where the Audi slowed and then accelerated away.

Milligan sped off behind him along Bilton Road, reaching an estimated 50-59mph before losing control on a slight bend and hitting 60-year-old Mrs Adams, who was carrying shopping bags.

She was flung onto the bonnet and thrown through the air before landing on the path where it was concluded she had died instantly of multiple injuries.

The Nissan continued, not having braked, rejoined the road and hit the Toyota before coming to stop 110 metres from the point where Milligan had lost control of it.

When he was interviewed Milligan repeated that the Audi driver had goaded him and he reacted by accelerating hard, adding: “I was getting annoyed. I don’t drive like a prat normally.”

Miss Rai read tributes from Mrs Adams’ family, including one from her older son Patrick who said she had been a volunteer at her local church and was ‘the most loving, kind and generous person you could meet.’

Justin Jarmola, defending, read a letter from Milligan in which he wrote: “I wish to apologise sincerely to every member of the family of Mrs Adams for the loss and damage caused by my actions.

“The events of that evening will stay with me for the rest of my life, and what has happened does not sit easily with me at all. There has not been a day gone by that I have not spent time thinking about this. I can’t imagine the pain I have caused.”

Mr Jarmola conceded there was ‘an element of speeding,’ but said a defence expert had put Milligan’s speed at 45-50mph.

He pointed out that Milligan, who was of previous good character, had admitted responsibility at the time – but did not get a postal requisition to attend court until February this year, and there had been no explanation for the delay.

Jailing Milligan, Judge Anthony Potter told him: “The sad fact is there is nothing I can do by way of sentence which can possibly reflect the loss of Mrs Adams to her family.

“As Mr Adams has said in his statement, if you had behaved differently that night his mother would still be alive. “You set off on a mundane journey which took you into the centre of Rugby. It is obvious the Audi slowed unnecessarily as it was going through the gyratory system and then accelerated away along Bilton Road, a road lined with residential properties.

“Sadly you viewed the actions of the Audi as some form of goading. When that vehicle accelerated, notwithstanding that yours has been a good driving record, you ignored the speed limit and set off in pursuit.

“You were responding to the actions of another motorist who it might be thought has been fortunate in not facing any form of prosecution.

“As you approached a bend, as Mrs Adams was walking with her shopping, you accelerated, and as a result, in part because of the speed and in part because yours was a rear-wheel-drive car and the tyres were in poor condition, you lost control.

“Your car came off the carriageway onto the pathway where Mrs Adams was, and hit her. Mercifully she would have known little about that collision because she was killed instantly. She has left behind her a devastated family.

“Your speed at times was very close to twice the speed limit. That alone created a substantial risk of danger.” But Judge Potter added: “It is plain to me your actions on that night were out of character. I take your letter and your guilty plea as a real indication of remorse.”