Three hurt after man failed to de-mist car in Belgrave

A motorist knocked down and injured three women on a pedestrian crossing because he was too idle to de-mist his windscreen.

Hermant Mangela said he did not see the women when he approached the crossing, at the junction of Catherine Street and Purley Road, Belgrave, Leicester.

Leicester Crown Court was told the two sisters and a friend were walking to work when they were struck by the defendant's VW Polo.

Mangela, of Brandon Street, Belgrave, admitted dangerous driving, on February 3.

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Victoria Rose, prosecuting, said it was an icy, clear, dry morning, with a small amount of snow.

However, Mangela (35) did not scrape or clear his windscreen before setting off.

The red stop light halting traffic was on, and the crossing's green man was illuminated.

One of the sisters, a 44-year-old, fell to the ground after being struck by the car.

The woman suffered pain in her left shoulder, side and ankle.

The other sister, aged 46, put out her hand gesturing for the Polo to stop, but it braked too late to avoid her.

Miss Rose said: "The force of the impact pushed her into the opposite carriageway, where she fainted.

"She suffered pains to her elbow and side and had a sore shoulder for several months."

Their friend, a 48-year-old, was knocked over and rolled across the road, suffering a fractured left arm, grazing, bruising and back pain.

Mangela assisted the victims.

Miss Rose said: "He invited them into his car, which they did.

"He asked them not to ring the emergency services, saying he would take them to hospital. However, an ambulance and the police arrived."

Mangela, a production operative and a married father of one, was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and was banned from driving for 18 months.

Sentencing, high court judge Mr Justice Flaux said: "You failed to de-mist your windscreen and couldn't see more than a couple of yards.

"You only saw these women just before you hit them. The psychological impact will remain with them for some time."

There was no suggestion Mangela was speeding, but the judge said: "It's as bad as driving too fast because, either way, you were unable to stop in time to prevent this accident taking place."

Justine Robinson, mitigating, said Mangela had a clean licence, no previous convictions and was fully insured.

She said: "He drove in those conditions for one or two minutes, having gone a third of a mile from his home to where the accident occurred."

The court heard Mangela was taking his wife to work.

Miss Robinson said: "He didn't take proper care required in the prevailing weather conditions."