Driver sentenced after rider seriously injured in road crash that killed her horse

A rider who was seriously injured in a road collision that killed her horse said she “would not wish what I’ve been through on anyone”.

Rubrics, a 13-year-old former racehorse owned by Sarah Cunningham from Handsacre, Staffordshire, had to be put down after the incident involving a 4×4 on a lane in Nethertown in December 2022. Sarah suffered four broken ribs and six other fractures, and had to use a wheelchair for 12 weeks.

At a hearing at Stafford Crown Court on 15 December 2023, the uninsured driver of the vehicle was sentenced to 120 hours’ community service and an 18-month community order. He was fined £300 and was banned from driving for 12 months. He had pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving.