Pensioner admits causing Udimore grandmother's death in Costa crash

Valerie Deakin, 74, died after David Lord lost control of his Audi A4 on Christmas Eve and crashed into the cafe in Westerham, Kent.

The 87-year-old man, of Croydon Road, Westerham, initially denied causing the mother-of-two’s death but changed his plea at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday (November 11).

Mrs Deakin’s family said they cannot ‘forgive and forget’ just yet but said the ‘wonderful’ woman would never be forgotten.

“Nothing is going to bring Val back and my family will forever grieve for the loss of a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother,” the family’s statement said.

“We are aware that it is not only our family who face up to this tragedy and I can empathise with the Lord’s family tribulations.

“Mr Lord’s change of plea to guilty has been a great relief to my family and, although the adage `forgive and forget’ cannot yet be applied, we hope that in time we can forget and forgive.

“Val, however, will never be forgotten.”

After turning from Croydon Road into Westerham High Street, Lord lost control of his car and collided with several other vehicles at around 10.30am on December 24, 2015.

The Audi then left the carriageway and careered into a Costa Coffee Shop, at the junction with London Road.

Mrs Deakin had been sitting at a table in the coffee shop with her friends when they were struck by the car.

She died at the scene from her injuries and five other people were hospitalised.

Kent Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit issued witness questionnaires to bystanders and ensured the Audi underwent inspections by experts, to see if there had been any defects which may have contributed to the crash.

Sergeant Glyn Walker said: “David Lord’s car was rigorously checked by experts for any defects, but there were none.

“We believe he simply lost control of the vehicle by wrongly pressing the accelerator, causing it to leave the road at speed and with tragic consequences.”

Sentencing is adjourned until a date after January 23, 2017.

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