Summary
A grieving mother has shared a poignant message to a driver who admitted causing the death of her son by careless driving – saying she feels ’empathy’ for him alongside the heartbreak of her family’s loss. Bruce Drake, 79, of St Aldwyn Road in Gloucester, appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning, October 15, where he pleaded guilty to causing death by careless/inconsiderate driving.
Details
The charge relates to a collision between a car and pedestrian on Barton Street in Gloucester on January 14, 2025. Kieran Jones, 35, was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, where he died three days later from ‘catastrophic’ head injuries, the court heard.
Magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared, and adjourned the case until Wednesday, December 2, when they will decide whether to sentence Drake at the same court, or send him to Gloucester Crown Court for sentencing. Want to see more court coverage from GloucestershireLive? Then make us your preferred source on Google.
To add GloucestershireLive as a preferred source, simply click here . The court heard an emotional victim impact statement from the family of Kieran, from Gloucester, who was described as ‘a deeply gentle, kind, and thoughtful man’ and a ‘fun’ uncle who was ‘adored’ by his young nephew and niece.
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And while the family said their grief and shock is still ‘raw’ almost two years on, Kieran’s mother Jeannie wrote that she ‘holds empathy for the defendant’. The statement, written by Mr Jones’ brother-in-law, Charlie Yolland-Jones, said: “The day-to-day impact on Jeannie and Don is immeasurable.
Losing a child is a pain no parents should ever endure, but losing their only son in such a sudden and violent manner has left an indelible scar. “I wish to share a specific message on behalf of Kieran’s mother, Jeannie: despite the overwhelming grief and heartbreak our family lives with every day, Jeannie wishes the court to know that she holds empathy for the defendant.
She recognises that he, too, has to live every day with the heavy consequences of his actions that evening.” The collision was reported shortly after 11pm on Tuesday, January 14 last year, on Barton Street near the junction with St James Street in Gloucester.
The court heard that CCTV cameras in Gloucester tracked the movements of Mr Jones and a friend of his, from the city centre until they were lost from sight near Budgens on Barton Street. Prosecuting, Sue Gethin described Mr Jones’ friend as ‘staggering’ but said that Mr Jones seemed steady on his feet and ‘did not appear intoxicated’.
