Court Reduces Sentence for Driver Killing Baby Outside Welsh Hospital

Bridget Curtis, a 71-year-old driver, had her prison sentence reduced from four years to three years by the Court of Appeal after causing the death of eight-month-old Mabli Cariad Hall by dangerous driving outside Withybush Hospital in Pembrokeshire. Curtis accidentally pressed the accelerator while helping her daughter retrieve a handbag from the backseat, causing her vehicle to mount a kerb and collide with Mabli's pram, resulting in fatal head injuries. Mabli had just said goodbye to her grandmother, who was receiving end-of-life care at the hospital. Despite the tragic outcome and moving victim statements from Mabli's family, the judges ruled Curtis's original sentence was 'manifestly excessive' and increased her driving disqualification to seven and a half years. Curtis had no previous convictions and had held a clean driving license for over 50 years, with her legal team describing the incident as a lapse of concentration. The appeal hearing was held with Curtis attending via video link from prison, where she was noted to be in a wheelchair.