New Milton Advertiser 4th Dec 2020

16 · Friday 4th December 2020

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Pensioner spared jail over fatal crash in car park

The group has continued to raise thousands despite the pandemic

Granddaughter of victimwas also left disabled by collision

Diamonds shine in £3k cancer unit fundraiser

but Doris could not be saved. In her defence, Cove admit - ted she caused the crash but suggested she had fainted mo - ments before. However, the prosecution, led by Rose Burns, instead sus - pected her foot slipped or she accidentally hit the accelerator pedal. Moments after the crash, the jury heard, Cove was conscious and told someone who went to her aid: “Those poor women.” She was also pictured on CCTV with both hands on the steering wheel moments before the impact and sitting in an up - right position. At the sentencing, Judge Garnham said the jury had re - jected suggestions by Cove’s le - gal team she may have fainted but he accepted her claim she did not recall the crash. He said the car was travelling at around 25mph when it hit the two women, adding: “I think the overwhelming likelihood is your foot slipped off the clutch, causing the vehicle to speed forward a short distance to the supermarket wall. “This was plainly dangerous, and the consequences were devastating for the Lush family. It’s plain the pain, grief and loss the Lush family has suffered is profound and enduring.”

BY JON WALLER

THE Diamond Divas ladies’ choir has been on sparkling fundraising form this year, col - lecting more than £3,000 since March for a cancer unit in Christchurch. The group, which has 20 members and is based in High - cliffe, has supported Macmil - lan Caring Locally (MCL) for around eight years raising a to - tal of about £40,000. Members usually sing at concerts in care homes, local churches and at WI groups but have been forced to cancel all live performances due to the pandemic. Instead, the ladies have con - tinued their fundraising by set - ting up socially distanced stalls at their homes selling plants, books, puzzles, DVDs and homemade crafts. They also made and sold jams, pickles and reusable cotton face masks. Choir coordinator Josie A CHRISTCHURCH school wants to replace three tempo - rary buildings with a block of 10 classrooms. Twynham School is seeking outline planning permission for a 458-square metre, two-storey addition at its site in Sopers Lane. The application is cur - rently being considered by BCP Council. A spokesperson for the school said it was working with appli - cant Twynham Learning Trust, which oversees six schools in - cluding The Grange, to “identify

Spicer said: “It has been terri - bly frustrating not to be able to perform and very upsetting to cancel our concerts. “We are a fun and very socia - ble choir which thrives on in - teraction and the joy we spread through our singing. “But we are also adaptable and very determined, so we sim - ply looked for ways to fundraise for Macmillan Caring Locally in a non-musical way.” Neal Williams, trust secretary of MCL, added: “The lockdown has forced the cancellation of many of our fundraising proj - ects, but the Divas, along with many of our loyal supporters, have left us in awe with their ingenuity and determination to help us. We feel blessed to have them beside us.” The group is taking orders for Christmas themed reusable face masks at www.macmillan local.org key areas of future investment”. “We can confirm that we are currently undertaking an infor - mal review process,” said the spokesperson. “We are considering how we can develop facilities and pro - vision at Twynham School to improve the provision for our community. “This process is happening across all six schools within the family of Twynham Learning and we will announce any future plans once these have been con - firmed and finalised.”

A WHEELCHAIR-bound pen - sioner who ploughed into and killed an 86-year-old woman and left her granddaughter with life-changing injuries was spared being sent to jail. Pauline Cove (78) was re - sponsible for a “shocking” inci - dent at the Totton Morrisons superstore on 12th July 2018. Her Peugeot 207 car struck Do - ris Lush and Rebecca Lush (22) as they stood near a cash ma - chine. Doris died from her injuries while Rebecca had to spend six weeks in hospital and undergo four operations. She is now per - manently disabled and has been forced to abandon her dream of being a forensic scientist. Cove, of Hounsdown Road, Totton, appeared at Salisbury Crown Court on Monday to be sentenced for causing death and serious injuries by careless driving. A jury found her guilty of both charges at an earlier tri - al. Judge Neil Garnham QC said he was persuaded to take the A SPRIGHTLY nonagenarian and his dog will put their best foot and paw forward for a fes - tive trek around the grounds of their New Forest care home to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. Colin Evans (95), who lives at Gracewell of Sway, is dress - ing up as Santa, with trusty pet Rusty becoming his reindeer, to complete 50 laps totalling around 15,880 steps in five days. The cause is particularly close to the pensioner’s heart as he survived a five-year battle with bowel cancer earlier in his life. As the continuing pandem - ic has held up many cancer treatments and clinical trials, he hopes his Christmas chal - lenge will rake in around £500 to boost the charity’s work. Colin will set off with Rusty on 12th December – the birth - day of his wife Jean who died on 24th January after 73 years of marriage. The duo are expected to com - plete the walk on 18th Decem - ber. Cancer Research UK sent Colin a personal letter, thank - ing him for choosing to support such a vital cause. “As a cancer survivor, I want to do something to give back as, without vital charities like Can - cer Research UK, I would not be here today living such a won - derful and joyful life,” he said. “I am hoping to raise £500 as I am aware that every penny will help in the fight against cancer. “I live in such a wonderful care home and I am looking forward to carrying out a rein - deer dash with my beloved furry

Flowers were left at the scene outside Morrisons in Totton

“exceptional course” of allow - ing Cove to keep her liberty be - cause prior to the incident she was of good character, her driv - ing record was impeccable and she had showed “genuine re - morse” for what she had done. He also said she was vulner - able in prison because of her age, chronic arthritis in her hip and knee, and her son Roy – a

51-year-old recovering drug ad - dict – had reconnected and was reliant on her. Her going to prison would have a “harmful impact” on Roy, Judge Garnham said, as he gave her an 18-month prison term suspended for two years. It had been a “momentary” error but one with “tragic con - sequences”, the judge stressed.

Cove’s trial heard that af - ter the defendant finished her shopping shortly before mid - day, she reversed out of a disa - bled parking bay and was driv - ing towards the store when she collided with both women. After the crash, shoppers rushed to help the victims before paramedics arrived. Both were taken to hospital

School plans 10-class block

New Forest leisure centres in £5m loss

Colin (95) and Rusty step out for charity

THE five public leisure cen - tres in the New Forest are set for a £5m loss of income during 2020/21. Cllr Mark Steele, the Conser - vative cabinet member for lei - sure, revealed the figures after he was challenged by the Lib - eral Democrat opposition over £1bn of support announced by the Prime Minister. Cllr Steele told the A&T that NFDC was given £204,463 from that to assist “additional ex - penditure pressures” over the winter but was unlikely to be eligible for a share of £100m, as a specific part of the assistance package. He went on: “The council is expecting to lose around £5m in leisure centre income during 2020/21. “The government has set up a sales, fees and charges compen - sation scheme to assist with the losses, and we have submitted a claim under this scheme.” NFDC said it would receive some government money to help through the sales, fees and charges scheme, although it did not clarify how much. As reported in the A&T, NFDC has invited private firms to bid for an initial decade-long POLICE have launched a drink-driving crackdown for the festive season across Hamp - shire and Dorset. The two forces will be tar - geting motorists with extra roadside alcohol and drug tests during December, and have urged people to report anyone they suspect of getting behind the wheel while under the influ - ence. Last year during Hampshire’s Operation Holly there were 1,049 breath tests carried out, of which 67 were positive. From 80 drug wipes, 44 were positive. Sgt Scott Kerr, road safety sergeant for Hampshire and Thames Valley police, said: “This year, with the restrictions

£1 MILLION REFURBISHMENT COMPLETED Osborne Lodge is a well-established family run care home situated within walking distance of New Milton town centre, GP surgeries and community centre Welcoming and friendly atmosphere All rooms have en suite facilities Choice of all meals Long term highly qualified staff Full range of activities RESPITE & DAY CARE FOR THE ELDERLY Are you looking after a loved one at home? Do you need a few hours to yourself? Or are you living alone in need of stimulating company? Have you had a fall and need to regain your confidence? We cater for clients wanting ongoing or short-term day care, or day care that can be called upon occasionally, whenever the need arises HALF AND FULL DAY CARE AVAILABLE Including lunch and activities (full day includes evening meal) Contact tel: 01425 618248 Email: enquiries@osbornelodge.co.uk www.osbornelodgecare.co.uk

The leisure centres have been hit hard by pandemic closures

come, they simply help with the new expenditure pressures faced by the council and help to compensate some of the lost income that will be borne in the current financial year. “They do not support the me - dium to long-term financial sus - tainability of our services, in - cluding our five leisure centres. “The council must deal with these matters through its finan - cial strategy planning, includ - ing identifying options to pro - vide services at a lower net cost to the taxpayer.” drink-drive-related offence, and 103 people with a drug-drive-re - lated offence. Insp. Joe Pardey, of the Dor - set roads policing team, said: “Despite long-term reductions, drink and drug-driving still ac - counts for 15% of road deaths and almost 10,000 casualties nationally each year. We want to work with the public to not place additional unnecessary pressures on our NHS.” PC Heidi Moxam, of the Al - liance Roads Policing team, added: “Having to break the news to loved ones that a family member is never coming home is one of the worst parts of my role, but sadly it happens all too often.”

contract to run its leisure cen - tres at Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood, Applemore and Tot - ton . But the idea has provoked objections from opposition councillors, protests and a pe - tition attracting thousands of signatures. Cllr Steele argued the £5m loss was evidence in support of the council’s outsourcing plan. He said: “Whilst the latest tranche of support funding, and the introduction of the income support scheme are most wel - imposed by the government as a result of the pandemic, it is important that if you drink at home it is done sensibly and re - sponsibly. “In licensed premises such as pubs and restaurants, they serve measured amounts of alcohol. However, at home it is unlikely that you measure exactly how much alcohol you pour into a glass. “Therefore, it is crucial to think about the morning after. It can take hours for alcohol to leave your system after drink - ing, so it may still not be safe for you to drive.” In Dorset last year, officers carried out 631 breath tests and charged 57 people with a

Colin Evans and Rusty

friend, Rusty.” He added: “Fifty laps will be one of my biggest achievements yet, but I know with the sup - port of my wonderful friends and staff, who are my extended family, I can do anything!” Gracewell’s general manager, Rachel Bedford, said staff and residents at the Church Lane home would be cheering Colin and Rusty on when they begin their walk. She added: “We hope that many agree with the pressing need to support Cancer Re - search UK and get behind Colin and his beloved Rusty to help make a real difference in our fight against cancer.” Donate at bit.ly/2J5SXWN

Drink-drive crackdown for Christmas

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27 th NOVEMBER 2020 ANswERs quiz answers

1. Leo Tolstoy 2. Arthur Conan Doyle 3. Uranus 4. Desperate Housewives 5. Brisbane

6. spinach 7. David Hockney 8. Copper 9. Homer 10. Thomas Mann

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