5 days ago
Gran's haunting final words to childhood sweetheart as she lay dying at roadside
Christine Jones begged for help following what turned out to be a fatal car crash.
A tragic great-grandmother begged her childhood sweetheart to help her as she lay dying at the roadside. Christine Jones pleaded to her husband of nearly 50 years: "Please don't let me die". She had been a passenger in a car which was struck by another vehicle but had managed to contact him.
Despite suffering extensive injuries, the 68-year-old was able to reach into her handbag for her mobile phone, allowing her to call her spouse. He then rushed to the scene and kissed and held hands with his wife as she made the haunting five-word plea. She passed away three days after the crash, which took place in Thornton Common Road in Thornton Hough, Wirral.
Liverpool Echo reports it came after armed forces veteran Ian Ashworth's car veered into their path and caused a head-on smash. The dad, who "has no memory of how or why" the fatal collision occurred while he was driving home from the gym, has been spared an immediate prison sentence over the accident, which remains largely unexplained.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this week that 81-year-old Bryn Jones was driving his Ford Fiesta along the two-lane carriageway in the direction of Thornton Hough at around 9pm on August 14 2023 with his stepdaughter, Mrs Jones as his front seat passenger. The two had been returning home from Arrowe Park Hospital.
His long-term partner and her mother, Brenda Jones had been admitted as an inpatient. Eric Lamb, prosecuting, described how Ashworth, of New Heyes in Neston, was meanwhile travelling in the opposite direction in his Peugeot 3008 at the same time. The following collision was not caught on camera or witnessed by any other persons.
Both motorists have "no recollection" of the event. But, due to markings left by the vehicles on the road surface, investigators concluded that the 62-year-old defendant's vehicle had "crossed the central divide into the oncoming carriageway," resulting in an impact to the front off-side of both cars.
No defects were found on either the Ford or the Peugeot, with neither motorist being "impaired by alcohol or drugs" and no obstructions being noted in the highway. Mrs Jones, who grew up in Thornton Hough and lived in Neston for 50 years, was able to exit the vehicle following the crash.
But the mum-of-five, nan-of-11 and great grandma-of-three died in hospital three days later due to "severe chest and abdominal injuries". In a statement that was read to the court on their behalf, her children detailed how they and other relatives arrived at the scene before the emergency services after being informed of the crash.
They said: "We replay every moment in our heads like a slideshow. The constant images are a cruel reminder. We still expect to wake up and learn that this was all a dream. Just knowing how scared she would have been and the pain she would have felt consumes our minds every day. Mum was our laughter and our constant. She was the first person we called with good news or bad news."
They also described their grandma as being left "heartbroken" when told of her daughter's death, with their statement adding: "To see her cry 'not my baby girl ' is something that still haunts us. She blamed herself and felt unnecessary guilt. The hardest thing has been watching our dad trying to be strong for us, knowing he's totally broken.
"It feels like we've lost both parents. Although we know Mr Ashworth never set out that evening to intentionally hurt anyone, this has caused so much pain to so many people." Bryn Jones suffered fractures to his upper arm, collarbone and ribs during the crash and spent more than a fortnight in hospital.
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He outlined in his own statement how Brenda Jones, his partner of 16 years, passed away only three months later in November due to the "shock and sadness" of her daughter's death. Mr Jones added: "Christine and I were less than a quarter of a mile from Brenda's family home when the accident occurred.
"I will never forget the devastation of Brenda being told that her daughter had died of her injuries. Christine cared for Brenda effectively full-time. I was devastated. The injuries I sustained are nothing compared to the emotional loss I felt as a result of the accident and the loss of my family."
Mr Lamb finally read a statement from Christine Jones' husband Alan Jones, who said of the evening in question: "I kept looking at the clock, wondering why it was taking so long and thinking something must be wrong. I heard the phone ring and was told the news of the incident. She was only one minute away from home.
"I went straight over to her, kissed her and promised her she would be ok. Her last words to me were 'please don't let me die'. I remained with her, kissing her face and holding her hand. The following days were unbearable. Christine and I met on the school bus when she was 13. She's all I've ever known. We were due to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary two months after her passing.
"She was so looking forward to celebrating our life with our wonderful family and friends. I had to put the money we had saved for the party towards her funeral. Mr Lamb finally read a statement from Christine Jones' husband Alan Jones, who said of the evening in question: "I kept looking at the clock, wondering why it was taking so long and thinking something must be wrong.
"I heard the phone ring and was told the news of the incident. She was only one minute away from home. I went straight over to her, kissed her and promised her she would be ok. Her last words to me were 'please don't let me die'. I remained with her, kissing her face and holding her hand. The following days were unbearable.
"Christine and I met on the school bus when she was 13. She's all I've ever known. We were due to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary two months after her passing. She was so looking forward to celebrating our life with our wonderful family and friends. I had to put the money we had saved for the party towards her funeral.
"I sit alone in the home she made constantly missing her and unable to do the things we wanted to do together. I feel totally lost without her. I visit Christine's grave every day as I don't want her to be alone. She was so afraid that evening. She even managed to get her phone out of her bag to call me as she was so desperate for me to be with her.
"How she managed to do that, I'll never know." Ashworth sustained a fractured vertebrae, several broken ribs and a ruptured spleen in the collision. Under interview, he later told detectives that his "last recollection was being at traffic lights" but "recalled a kerb sticking out" which "may have been a reason" for his car crossing into the path of the other vehicle.
He however "expressed remorse and asked for his apologies to be passed on". Darren Finnegan, defending, told the court: "He has asked me to express his profound remorse and how sorry he is to member of the family who are present in court today. Mr Ashworth has worked all of his life. He had joined the Royal Navy in 1980. He served in the Falklands as an engineer and left in 2002.
"He currently works as a machinist for a local factory. He has one son who is 21 years of age, who he regularly goes mountain hiking with. On the day in question, Mr Ashworth had been to the gym. He had some food before leaving the gym and was driving to his ex-partner's house to housesit for her whilst her and their son went to Scotland for a holiday.
"Mr Ashworth has no memory of the collision itself. He recalls navigating a kerb through the village. He then remembers an exchange with the emergency crews extracting him from his vehicle. He has no memory of how or why the collision occurred. This must have been a split second, momentary lapse in concentration.
"There is no evidence of Mr Ashworth being distracted by his phone or anything of that nature. Mr Ashworth has no previous convictions. He is a man of good character. There is a character reference from his ex-partner. She describes him as being a kind, generous, supportive person who has put the needs and wants of others before those of himself many times.
"He has a good driving record. He is remorseful. He feels sorry for the Joneses and was devastated to hear what happened to Mrs Jones. It was an instant which was entirely out of character for Mr Ashworth." Mr Finnegan detailed how Ashworth, who used a stick when walking to the dock, had later suffered a broken neck after falling down the stairs.
He added: "He has paid his own price for his actions. His injuries including a fractured vertebrae, a ruptured spleen which had to be removed and broken ribs. He spent 16 or 17 days in hospital after the collision. Mr Ashworth's brother, towards the end of last year, took his own life. His brother's death followed that of his mother's death a few years earlier, a lady who Mr Ashworth had cared for.
"Only a few weeks ago, Mr Ashworth was the victim of a serious assault when his ankle and arm were broken. Both injuries required surgery." Ashworth admitted causing death by careless driving and causing serious injury by careless driving. He appeared in the dock wearing a black suit over a white shirt and a tie emblazoned with a military crest on Wednesday.
He showed no reaction as he was handed a 12-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days. Members of Ms Jones' family were meanwhile seen embracing in the public gallery, with some having been in tears at times during the hearing.
Ashworth was also banned from driving for two years and will be required to pass an extended retest before being allowed back on the roads. Sentencing, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: "I would like to state at the outset that this is a truly tragic case. A life has been lost and another gravely affected. No sentence I can pass today could ever reflect such loss for the victim and their families.
"To them, I express my utmost sympathy. Naturally, questions arise. Why? How? The fact is that very little is known. You have no recollection of what happened. I accept that. Neither does Mr Bryn Jones. There is no evidence of a loss of control. There were no deficiencies with either vehicle. No one was impaired by alcohol or drugs.
"There is no indication that excess speed was a factor, and yet there you were on the opposite side. What has resulted here is an incalculable loss in respect of many members of the family. The outstanding question is whether or not this must be served immediately or can it properly be suspended.
"Factors in favour of suspending the sentence is that there are clearly reasonable prospects of rehabilitation. You do not present a danger to the public and there is strong personal mitigation. I do not consider, on balance, in all of the circumstances of this case, that immediate custody is demanded, and so the sentence will be suspended."
