A dangerous driver has admitted killing a 76-year-old woman and seriously injuring two other people in a crash on the A69 near Hexham.
Daniel Porter, 36, appeared before Newcastle Crown Court by video link from Durham prison on Monday. He pleaded guilty to causing the death of Doreen Flatman, from Haydon Bridge, by dangerous driving on September 26. He also admitted causing serious injury to two people by dangerous driving on the same day.
Porter, of Angate Street, Wolsingham, County Durham, additionally pleaded guilty to possessing the class A drug methamphetamine and to driving a Honda while unfit through drugs. He denied two allegations of breaching an interim sexual risk order, which police have previously said relate to a separate matter.
What happened on the A69
Northumbria Police said a black Honda ENY1 travelling west collided with a blue Volkswagen Tiguan heading east on the A69 shortly before 1.30pm.
Emergency services attended, but Doreen was pronounced dead at the scene. She had been travelling as a rear-seat passenger in the Volkswagen. The Volkswagen’s driver and front-seat passenger both suffered serious injuries.
Doreen’s family previously described her as a “much-loved mam and the loveliest friend and woman anyone could ever hope to meet”. Tributes were also left following the crash in Northumberland.
Next court hearing
Judge Tim Gittins told Porter, who appeared wearing a green sweatshirt, that he was likely to receive a custodial sentence of some length. The judge said: “Obviously as you've pleaded guilty to the serious driving offences and the drugs offence in respect of them you will receive significant credit in due course.”
A further case management hearing has been listed for December 22. The court has not yet imposed the final sentence.
In their tribute, Doreen’s family said she was “truly the life and soul of every room she walked into, bringing warmth, laughter, and an unmistakable brightness to all our lives”. They said her kindness “knew no bounds” and that her death had left “a deep and painful void”.
They added: “Words cannot fully express how sadly missed she will always be, but the boundless love she gave and the beautiful memories she left behind will stay with us forever.”
