Updated: Man jailed for 10 years after killing woman on Tholt-y-Will

A St Johns man has been sent to prison for 10 years after causing death by dangerous driving.

30-year-old Donovan Kitching was sentenced at Douglas Courthouse today after earlier pleading guilty to killing Gwen Valentine.

The 62-year-old, who was from Hampshire, was walking on the Tholt-y-Will Road on April 26^th when Kitching lost control of the car he was driving and crashed into her.

The court heard how moments before the tragedy police had stopped Kitching on the Mountain Road and arrested him for drink driving but he escaped and made off at high speed.

Sentencing him Deemster Montgomerie said the evidence against him was “overwhelming” and was aggravated by the fact he had only been out of prison for three weeks when it happened. 

Kitching was given eight years for the driving offence and two years and 72 days for breaking his licence.

Speaking outside court Gwen’s son Stuart made the following statement: