A MUM of two who took too much of a prescribed painkiller in the hours before she caused a fatal crash has been jailed for more than two years. 

Kelly Cox, of Holmwood Close, Clacton, was behind the wheel of a BMW X5 when she failed to take a bend and ploughed into an oncoming Citroen which was being driven by Norman Austin, 84.

The court heard how Cox had been driving on St John’s Road towards Holland-on-Sea, with her two children in the back of the car, on the morning April 11, 2020.

As she approached a bend, Cox continued driving straight on and crashed into Mr Austin’s Citroen, causing what witness Robert Stringer described as “a massive bang”.

Mr Austin's Citroen came to rest in a nearby field and the RAF veteran from St Osyth was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services. 

Cox, who falsely claimed in the aftermath of the collision that her steering had locked out whilst she was driving, sustaining minor injuries.

Chelmsford Crown Court was told Cox’s had taken a painkiller called Tramadol, with blood tests taken in hospital nine hours after the crash showing the concentration of the drug in her blood was 895mg per litre.

Cox had been prescribed two 50mg doses of the drug per day just 48 hours before the crash, with drowsiness one of Tramadol's key side-effects.

Blood tests also showed significant amounts of diazepam and nordazepam, anxiety reducing drugs which Cox had not been prescribed, in her blood stream.

Cox had previously denied causing death by dangerous driving after the crash in April 2020. 

But before the start of a trial held in Chelmsford Crown Court, Cox, 35, changed her plea and admitted the offence.

The mum-of-two appeared before Judge Christopher Morgan dressed in a grey fleece and showed little emotion when receiving her sentence on Thursday afternoon.

Judge Morgan said Cox had ignored the recommended dose of her medication.

He said: “The defendant had decided in the evening prior to the collision to self-medicate an overdose beyond which had been prescribed – that is clear disregarding of advice."

Judge Morgan sentenced Cox to a 33-month jail term, half of which will be served in prison, with the second half served on licence.

Cox also received a driving disqualification lasting six years and four months.