A beloved grandmother-of-five was tragically killed crossing the road at a steep junction despite the driver checking both ways before setting off.

Stephen Alexander was waiting to turn from Kay Brow, into Bolton Street in Ramsbottom, but Maureen Rothschild walked in front of his car, just as he set off.

The gran, in her 70s, suffered head injuries and was taken to Salford Royal Hospital on February 5, 2022 where she died a day later.

Alexander, of Bury New Road, Bury, was visibly upset in the dock as Laura Atherton, for the prosecution, detailed how he had looked left and right before moving slowly out at the junction.

CCTV footage played to the court showed that Alexander, 43, didn’t see Maureen walk across his car before he collided with her, knocking her to the floor.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order after previously pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving, Manchester Magistrates Court was told.

The court was told an eye witness told police at the scene that the defendant was visibly shaken and repeatedly said he didn’t see what had happened.

Ms Atherton said: “The police report said that there was a blind spot and that if he had looked the other way he would’ve seen her.

“It was a very sad series of events.”

Reading out statements from both Simon and Sharon Rothschild, the children of the victim, the prosecution explained they had been left devastated by the death of their mother – who they told the court was a beloved nanna.

She added that they both could no longer visit the junction without thinking of what happened to Maureen there.

“I want to say that I hope you carry this burden for the rest of your life as I am doing a life sentence,” Sharon Rothschild’s statement concluded.

However, she did acknowledge that Alexander did "not set out to cause the death of her mother".

Defending, Claire Parrot told the court that Alexander needed to nudge out of the steep junction to be able to avoid the blind spot and said “it was very clear that he did not see her”.

Although she added this was in "no way to minimise what happened".

“You can see he slowed down at the junction,” Ms Parrot said.

“He doesn’t move off without care, he does look left and right but he sadly doesn’t look back again at that moment.

“That significant step has ruined two families’ lives.

"It is not often I can stand here and say that this could’ve happened to many of us.”

Ms Parrot went on to say that her client had suffered with post traumatic stress disorder and depression since this incident over a year ago.

She also expressed deep remorse on behalf of Alexander "who knows this will not help the victim’s family".

In statements from Alexander’s parents, long-time friend and his wife, they all describe the father-of-two as a devoted parent whose life centred around work and his children before this incident “changed his life forever”.

They all stressed that he will live with this for the rest of his life and that “he will never be the same again”.

District Judge Margaret McCormack labelled this as a "tragic case" before explaining Alexander was a man of no previous conviction with a clean driving licence of 20 years.

She ordered that he would have to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work as part of his 12 month community order and would be disqualified from driving for 12 months.

“This is something guaranteed to remain with both families for years, if not forever,” the judge concluded.