A social worker who screamed 'Oh my God, I've killed my friend,' after she ran over her elderly neighbour is facing jail.
Elizabeth Avorga, 42, was at the wheel of her black Chevolet SUV when she hit Janet Emmett, 71, near their homes in south Croydon on 14 June 2022. Mrs Emmett was crossing the road on crutches when she fell over and her head was crushed by Avorga's vehicle on Kingsdown Avenue.
Mother-of-four Avorga told the court she was returning from the school run and had tried to avoid Mrs Emmett. She said she turned to drive around the pensioner, but Mrs Emmett changed direction and lost her footing. Avorga denied causing death by careless driving but was convicted of the charge after a four day trial at the Old Bailey. The social worker did not react as the verdict was announced but members of the victim's family sobbed and had to leave court.
Judge Alexia Durran adjourned sentence until July 7 but said: "This case would appear to have crossed the custody threshold." Prosecutor Charlotte Hole said Avorga had been out to drop her children at school and nursery and she was on her way home just before 9.30am. "Mrs Emmett was walking away from her building and crossing the service road", she said. "What happened next was not captured on any CCTV and wasn't seen by any eyewitnesses."
The incident happened near the homes of both women in south Croydon in June 2022 (Google)Some neighbours heard screams and one came out to see what had happened, the court heard. "She could see Ms Avorga's car had stopped on a grass verge and was not parked normally. Underneath the car she could see a crutch and two legs."
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Avorga was screaming hysterically and saying: "I tried to stop but she slid down and fell", the court heard. A neighbour took her back to their flat as she was distressed and shaking. Avorga said "oh my god, I've killed my friend".
A post-mortem found the cause of death was injuries to the head and torso. Avorga was taken from the scene in an ambulance and told a police officer: "She was a good lady we all cared for her. Why god, why?' She said: "She was just walking up, she's got crutches, she's got a hip replacement. She was just walking up there because we don't have a sidewalk and she slipped on her crutches and I panicked because I saw her fall and the car just rolled, the car just rolled, oh my God."
The prosecutor said Mrs Emmett had priority as a pedestrian who had stared to cross and the driver should have given way. "Ms Avorga suggests she didn't see Mrs Emmett until she turned into the service road. On her own account she clearly appreciated Mrs Emmett was a vulnerable road user and she steered around her but she did not stop.
"On her own account she knew Mrs Emmett had mobility problems but she passed so close when Mrs Emmett was crossing that when Mrs Emmett fell there was only one outcome and it was a fatal one. Had she stopped or at least passed so widely there was no possibility to come into contact the collision would we say have been avoided."
Avorga told the court she was driving into the service road off Kingsdown Avenue when Mrs Emmett tried to cross in front of her on the driver's side. "I had just turned in. I immediately realised she was in the road. I steered away to my left towards the grass verge to give her room to safely cross," she said. "I suddenly saw her turn slightly to her left.
"I was not sure why she turned. But the next thing I saw was she appeared to have lost her footing and was falling over backwards in the direction of the car. I stepped on my brakes and stopped the car." Avorga denied the charge but was convicted of causing death by careless driving on 14 June 2022.
A GoFundMe page was launched by Janet's son Declan who said his family's life was 'changed forever' following his mother's death. Mr Emmett said he was diagnosed with PTSD in August 2023 and desperately needed support but had to wait 16 to 18 weeks to see a professional. He wants to start a foundation in his mother's name to help families in a similar position to his own.
In a note to the judge, the jury said the access road was inherently unsafe because it did not have a pavement. "The 12 jurors agree that upon building these flats the person responsible should have correctly built infastructure to safely enter and exit the properties," the jury said. The note added that pedestrians using the road were "risking their lives" and a proper walkway should be added.
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