A DRIVER who killed a much-loved member of the community was spared jail after a request from the victim’s family.

Callum Smedley, aged 29, of Wigan Road, Westhoughton, was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court yesterday for causing death by careless driving.

Judge Elliot Knopf had been asked by Mr Daniels’ family not to send Smedley to prison, but instead give him unpaid work in the community.

Judge Knopf said: “The family considered that a sentence which included an unpaid work requirement would be appropriate and justified, an opinion which comes as no surprise, coming as it does from a family which has made such a valuable contribution to the community.”

He sentenced Smedley to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years and also ordered him to undertake 270 hours of unpaid work.

Smedley, who has two children, was also disqualified from driving for two years.

Smedley pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial earlier this week to causing the death of 82-year-old Harold Daniels on June 4 last year.

He was driving on Chorley Road towards Westhoughton in his partner’s Citroen C2 when he collided with Mr Daniels as he crossed the road to buy a newspaper.

The court heard how Smedley was driving at around 40 to 45mph as he approached where Mr Daniels, of Spindle Walk, Westhoughton, was hit.

Eyewitnesses who saw him driving shortly before the impact, at the junction of Chorley Road with the Wingates Industrial Estate, described how Smedley was in the right-hand lane, to turn on to the industrial estate.

He then accelerated into the left hand lane.

One witness described his style of driving ‘like drag racing’ before he collided with Mr Daniels further down the road.

Mr Daniels was full-time carer to his wife, Audrey, and was taking her to a craft fair when he stopped to go into a convenience store.

Statements from two of Mr Daniels’ daughters, Susan Missin and Alison Berry, were read out in court and described the impact his death had caused.

Mrs Missin’s statement stated: “I am very proud to be his daughter. From a very early age I knew my dad was special.”

Mrs Berry added: “The life we had, the year we were expecting, all taken away, all left breathless.”

Nick Ross, representing Smedley, said that his client was ‘devastated’ about what he had done and said that he wished he could turn back the clock.

Mr Daniels had been chairman of Westhoughton Community Network for five years and was a past president of the Rotary Club of Westhoughton.

He was also involved with the Melbourne Road Methodist Church, Deane, and was well known in the community.

Mr Daniels’ community work had earned him an MBE.

Friends and family of Smedley and Mr Daniels were present in court.

Addressing the victim’s family after sentencing, judge Knopf said: “I can only hope your good memories of him will provide some comfort over the years to come.”