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A van driver who ran over and killed a mum after arguing over payment for oral sex has been jailed for four and a half years.
James Martin, 27, accelerated away while Stella Frew, 38, was hanging on the side of his van in Sutton, south London last year July.
As he swerved through parked vehicles, the 38-year-old hit an Audi and she fell under the rear wheels, the Old Bailey heard.
It was reported that Martin then drove off and left the mother-of-two to die as she suffered from injuries in Tonfield Road, Sutton.
His behaviour was branded "cheap, cynical and disdainful" by Judge Richard Marks QC in court.
Jonathan Polnay, prosecuting, said the mum "seemed to have a tyre mark vertically up her back, from her pelvis to her neck".
The court heard how Martin had left his home he shared with his partner and was driving along Ridge Road in Sutton when he wolf-whistled at Stella.
It was reported that he pulled over and she leaned into the truck to give Martin oral sex, but they started to row when he said £50 was too much.
Witnesses Alexander Colebrook and Lisa Tyler were driving past and saw Martin accelerating away.
From the passenger position in the car, Ms Tyler, a passenger in Ms Colebrook's car, said: "As the van was coming towards us, there was a lady hanging onto the window.
"As the van was moving she was getting pulled along.
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"It was going quite fast, the engine revved a bit. The van passed two standstill cars, one on the left and one on the right and as it passed these two cars, she's gone down on the floor."
Police later found evidence of a used condom and cigarette paper containing DNA belonging to Martin and Ms Frew.
Giving evidence Martin claimed he was at the junction ready to pull out when Ms Frew opened the passenger door and offered to perform a 'blow-job'.
He said he agreed and drove to a car park where the act took place outside of the vehicle.
"As it was happening I realised that I shouldn't be doing it, I wanted to stop doing it and as I told her that, I believe she wanted to carry on, I didn't want to do it anymore," he said.
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"We had a little bit of an argument about doing it and not doing it.
"I then get back into my vehicle, she walks round to the passenger side.
"She did get into the vehicle, I told her to get out."
He said they arguing after she said "that's got to be worth £50".
"I was shocked. I said something like you must be joking.
"I then took the condom back off of her and I threw it away."
Martin said he drove away and did not realise she was hanging on to the van.
He also did not realise her handbag was in the vehicle when he accelerated away, but later threw it away.
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Cross-examining him Mr Polnay said: "Even if the first part of your account was true, you must have immediately realised that something had happened, because you must have felt your van drive over her at 15-20 miles an hour."
Jeremy Dein, QC, defending, said he has been suffering from PTSD and is "extremely emotional" and "suffers from breakdowns" following the incident.
The judge said that Martin made no attempt to come to an amicable solution when it came to payment.
"Thinking only of yourself, you drove as she ran straight towards you in circumstances where as you well knew she was close to the passenger window, hanging on to it," said Judge Marks.
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"Focused as you were only on yourself you were totally oblivious to the obvious risk she was subjected to as you drove off in order not to pay a penny for what she had done for you."
The judge added: "I heard moving victim impact statements read out to the court from Stella Frew's two adult daughters.
"She was clearly a much loved mother of two and grandmother of four and her loss was felt by the entire family.
"In many ways, she had a sad life.
"One thing is clear: she did not deserve to die in the way she did."
Martin, of Horley, Surrey, admitted causing death by dangerous driving
He had denied manslaughter and the prosecution accepted his plea.
Martin was also disqualified from driving for four years.
- Crime
- Family
- London
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