PETER Ellison died because of a momentary loss of concentration by delivery driver Adam England, a court heard.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Mr Ellison died instantly when his motorbike collided head-on with a car which pulled out from behind a van.

England, 59, of Selbourne Close, Westhoughton, pleaded guilty to driving without due care. He was fined £500 and disqualified from driving for 12 months for what the magistrates described as a serious lack of care.

But Andrew Marrs, defending, said his client had already paid a much higher penalty than the court could possibly impose.

"Nothing could be greater than the sentence he is already serving for being involved in this incident," said Mr Marrs. "He recollects the collision itself and that is a picture that will remain in his mind for the rest of his life."

The court heard that Mr Ellison, 49, a brewery worker, of Whittingham Road, Longridge, was driving his motorcycle down Barker Brow, Clayton-le-Dale, in April. As he approached the entrance to a picnic site on his left, the car drive by England pulled out from behind a van.

An accident investigation revealed that the motorcyclist would first have come into view over the brow of the hill at a distance of 220 metres and would have been in full view for 50 metres. Mr Marrs said England works for North West Repro Ltd in Bamber Bridge, Preston, and was returning to his base after making a delivery in Ribchester. He had decided to pull on to the picnic site to take a short break when the accident occurred.

He said England passed his driving test in 1958 and had not had a single conviction in his 41 years and, despite his current job, did not even have a conviction for speeding.

"I cannot express fully the remorse my client is feeling," said Mr Marrs. "There was an inquest into the death and after that my client quite bravely approached the deceased's wife and her two children and expressed his feelings to her.

"She did not seek to blame him but said that he would have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life," said Mr Marrs. "He will be punished for many, many years and this matter will play on his conscience for the rest of his life."

Mr Marrs said that if England was disqualified he would lose his job. "At the age of 59 he is unlikely to find another job and I would ask you not to increase the impact and trauma of this incident by imposing a ban," he added.

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