Heartbreaking victim statement from young woman left paralysed by danger driver as he is jailed
Samantha Petersen, 23, brought a court to tears as she told how she fears she will never be able to hold a child in her arms
A HAIRDRESSER left paralysed by a dangerous driver brought a court to tears as she told how she fears she will never be able to hold a child in her arms.
Samantha Petersen, 23, said she feels "I am the one being punished" since her spine was shattered in a horror smash caused by a driver who lied about his epilepsy.
She said she would like Matthew Mears to have to cope in a wheelchair for two months rather than go to prison – so he can understand the devastating impact his actions will have on her for the rest of her life.
Members of Samantha's family wept in the public gallery and even prosecution barrister Ben Thomas had to choke back tears as he read Ms Petersen’s victim impact statement at Hull crown court.
She said "I long to be able to hold a child of my own" but does not want to live if she loses control of her arms.
She added: “I have been asked how I feel about the driver that caused these injuries.
"I would not wish this on him at all. I want him to be in my shoes if only for a short time, to see how it is like to live with my injuries, perhaps tie his legs to a wheelchair for a month or make him work as a carer for a while.
"I could say I hate him, but I would never hate anyone.
“Regardless of the punishment given to him, I am the one who is being punished. He can still walk. I cannot.”
Mears, 39, claims he had a partial seizure when he drove his silver Vauxhall Astra at 60mph into the Fiat Punto Samantha was travelling in on the A1035 near Beverley, East Yorks, in May last year.
He had failed to inform the DVLA he suffer from epilepsy for seven years.
The impact broke Samantha's spine, ruptured her bowel and fractured her pelvis - putting her in a wheelchair for life.
Her then boyfriend Paul Hartley suffered a fractured neck, ending his rugby career, and his son Rhys suffered a broken leg requiring two operations to repair it with plastic screws.
Samantha was praised by a judge for her “quiet-dignity, resilience and fortitude" at Mears' sentencing hearing.
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She told in her victim impact statement how she was a "bubbly, happy-go-lucky young lady" who loved socialising and travel and had just started her own business.
Now she faces being in a wheelchair for life and doctors have warned her potentially life-threatening condition means she may lose all feeling and movement in her arms.
Her mother Susan has given up her job to be her full-time carer, and her brother David lost his contract as a Bradford Bulls rugby league player because he visited her too much in hospital, the court heard.
She said: “Since my time in hospital I have lost the feeling in my left arm down to my elbow and also in my middle and ring fingers of my left hand.
"My paralysis has extended above the collar bone. I can no longer thread needles and I often drop things. I am now classed as a tetraplegic – meaning I will never walk again.
“I now suffer from Autonomic Dysreflexia, which is potentially life threatening. It could mean the loss of use of my arms. I have told my mum if this happens, and I no longer have use of my arms, I do not want to be here any more.
"I can deal with not being able to walk, but having the use of my arms inspires me to carry on. One positive thing I cling to is that I should still be able to have children, but even this has its implications.
"During pregnancy I would have to come off medication which would cause me a lot of pain. Any medication would also risk causing paralysis in an unborn child.
“I long to be able to hold a child of my own, but I would not be able to pick up my child due to balance issues and so the child would have to be placed in my arms.
"The feelings of making love are something I have also been denied and I will no longer experience how it feels to be held closely by the one you love and the sensuality that goes along with that. Whilst I have experienced what it feels like. All that I have is a memory.”
Samantha also described the breakdown in her relationship with her boyfriend Paul as she no longer wanted to be a burden to him.
She added: "I want to go back to the life I had before, but realise this can never be. Simple pleasures in life such as going away on holiday have become a nightmare.
"The saddest part of it all for me though is that I have lost so many friends through this.
"I suppose people just don’t know how to react, or maybe feel sorry for me, but the social invites started getting less and less and it left me thinking they must regard me as something of a burden.
"Perhaps they see me as different now and think I am incapable of doing things. That is what it feels like and it really hurts and makes me angry.
"I don’t want to be treated differently, everything has changed, but I just want to be treated the same as before."
Members of the public wept throughout the reading of the statement including Ms Petersen’s mother Susan and her grandfather John, who sat in the public gallery with her two carers.
Mr Mears of Bradford, pleading guilty to three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one charge of failing to notify the DVLA of his medical condition.
Defence barrister Jeremy Lindsay said Mears was full of remorse. He told the court: “When he drove the car in May last year no one could have anticipated the consequences that would flow from a single incident having heard the quiet dignity of the young woman in her victim impact statement.
“Not only did he express remorse he was bemused by what he had caused and devastated by the effect on others.
"He should not have been driving. He will remember this for the rest of his life. This defendant will have a different kind of burden to that awful burden left to others.”
Sentencing Judge Mark Gargan agreed Ms Petersen had shown "quiet dignity, resilience and fortitude" in her account.
He told Mears: “I have considered this to be at the higher end of bad driving.
"Your case is put in the context of a partial seizure affected your driving. That does not provide much mitigation for the very reason you were someone who knew you had failed to bring that to the attention of authorities.
"There were highly aggravating features given the seriousness of the injuries and the number of people who were injured by your driving.”
Mears was jailed for three years and nine months and disqualified from driving for five years.
'I am the one who is being punished. He can still walk. I cannot.'
Here is Samantha Petersen's victim impact statement in full:
Before the crash I saw myself as a bubbly, happy-go-lucky young lady. My attitude was life was for living. I was a sensitive, emotional person and would always put others first. I had a good social life, with many good friends. I had been a hair salon manageress and had started my own business at the beginning of what I hope to be a long and prosperous career starting my own company and had put together a business plan for the Cornmill Hotel in Hull.
I liked to swim and take part in spinning classes at the gym. I often went on holiday having visited Cyprus, Turkey, Amsterdam and Australia. I had been learning to drive and was almost ready for my test. I had been a Navy Cadet and applied to join the Army, but I was so close to my mum I ended up not going.
Since my time in hospital I have lost the feeling in my left arm down to my elbow and also in my middle and ring fingers of my left hand. My paralysis has extended above the collar bone. I can no longer thread needles and I often drop things. I am now classed as a tetraplegic – meaning I will never walk again.
I now suffer from Autonomic Dysreflexia, which is potentially life threatening. It could mean the loss of use of my arms. I have told my mum if this happens, and I no longer have use of my arms, I do not want to be here any more. I can deal with not being able to walk, but having the use of my arms inspires me to carry on. One positive thing I cling to is that I should still be able to have children, but even this has its implications. During pregnancy I would have to come off medication which would cause me a lot of pain. Any medication would also risk causing paralysis in an unborn child.“I long to be able to hold a child of my own, but I would not be able to pick up my child due to balance issues and so the child would have to be placed in my arms. Despite all this I would like four children. I would never be able to go through two pregnancies, but would like to adopt two more. As a 22-year-old, to be denied the prospect of a natural birth is really hard to accept, as it should be part of a young woman’s life. The feelings of making love are something I have also been denied and I will no longer experience how it feels to be held closely by the one you love and the sensuality that goes along with that. Whilst I have experienced what it feels like. All that I have is a memory.
Speaking of relationships on New Year’s Eve last year I ended up chatting to an old friend who had a soft spot for me. He asked if he could take me out on a date. I was too embarrassed about my condition with the catheter and everything. I guess I am really scared that I won’t be able to give any potential partner the love they deserve and I didn’t want him to be a carer for me. I am not saying that is how he came across, but I don’t want pity from anyone.
I am constantly tired since the crash and it actually takes 25 per cent on my energy to get dressed. Personality wise I am a changed person now. I always had a very close relationship with my family and it upsets me to admit that I have arguments with them more often now. I am very bitter at times about the situation I find myself in. Simple everyday tasks such as cooking or going to the toilet are much more difficult and this does not help my mindset. My mum has been an absolute rock. She gave up her job so she can look after me. Of course this has meant mum has no form of income since the crash, before she received an interim payment to act as my carer. Before this I had to pay her a token wage from the payouts I have received in order for mum to be able to afford the basic necessities of life. She says that she has lost control of her life and her living standard has suffered.
My brother David has also suffered as a result of the crash. He had a promising career with Bradford Bulls, but was not getting enough game time because he was not spending enough time training as he was visiting me. Because of this, Bradford sent him on loan to Sheffield, but he was not able to put his mind into the game and his contract was not renewed. He has decided to spend time abroad to gather his thoughts. My mum is missing her son and her daughter and I know she is grieving for the both of us.
So this is how my life has changed since the day I was paralysed in a car crash. I want to go back to the life I had before, but realise this can never be. Simple pleasures in life such as going away on holiday have become a nightmare. The saddest part of it all for me though is that I have lost so many friends through this. I suppose people just don’t know how to react, or maybe feel sorry for me, but the social invites started getting less and less and it left me thinking they must regard me as something of a burden. Perhaps they see me as different now and think I am incapable of doing things. That is what it feels like and it really hurts and makes me angry. I don’t want to be treated differently, everything has changed, but I just want to be treated the same as before.
Despite all the negativity surrounding my situation, I feel it is important to say that it is not all bad. This is my life’s deal. I don’t like it, but I have to make the best of it. The driver may have ruined me, but he has not ruined my life and I really hope to make something good from the bad. I am hoping to do a five-year course in counselling in the future. It is all too raw for me right now, so in the mean time I am going to study fashion and design.
I have been asked how I feel about the driver that caused these injuries. I would not wish this on him at all. I want him to be in my shoes if only for a short time, to see how it is like to live with my injuries, perhaps tie his legs to a wheelchair for a month or make him work as a carer for a while. I could say I hate him, but I would never hate anyone.
Regardless of the punishment given to him, I am the one who is being punished. He can still walk. I cannot.
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