No jail term for eye cheat killer

Seago was born blind in his right eye, the court heard

A partially-sighted driver who ran over and killed a colleague has avoided a jail sentence.

William Seago, who illegally gained his HGV licence by memorising an eye test, was doing a three-point turn in a bin lorry when he ran down Keith Warman.

However Seago's vision was not a factor in the accident in which 55-year-old Mr Warman, a close friend, was killed.

Seago, 52, from Paulton in Somerset, admitted careless driving at a previous hearing at Bristol Crown Court.

He also pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a driving licence application.

Seago was working in Peasedown St John, near Bath, when Mr Warman ended up underneath the front right wheel of the 26-tonne lorry.

'Calculated' deception

The vehicle was moving at just 6mph when the accident happened in April 2008, the court heard.

Mr Warman, who was married and from Radstock in Somerset, died instantly from multiple skull fractures.

Seago was originally charged with causing death by dangerous driving, but the charge was downgraded to careless driving after it emerged that his vision did not cause the accident.

In 2003 Seago, who was born blind in his right eye, memorised the lower two lines of an eye chart to pass his HGV licence test.

As well as the suspended prison sentence, he was also ordered to perform 150 hours of community work and his licence - which will be restricted to class B and BE vehicles - was endorsed with nine points.

Judge Neil Ford told the court it was still not known exactly how Mr Warman was killed, considering the slow speed at which the lorry was travelling.

The judge described Seago's deception to obtain his HGV licence as "calculated".

Defending, George Threlfall said his client had been seriously affected by the death of his friend, suffering flashbacks and sleeplessness.