Death crash Pc's driving ban cut

The police car was transporting a man arrested at Gatwick Airport

A Sussex police officer who was banned from driving after a fatal crash has had his ban reduced on appeal.

Pc Nicholas Andrews-Faulkner, 44, was convicted of careless driving after speeding through a red light near Gatwick Airport, killing Karen Stagg.

He was fined £2,000, given nine points on his licence and a four-year driving ban, and told to retake his test.

The Appeal Court cut his ban by a year and set aside the order to retake his test and add points on his licence.

Andrews-Faulkner, from Hassocks, in West Sussex, was cleared at Winchester Crown Court in April of causing death by dangerous driving.

Karen Stagg was travelling with her son at the time of the crash

He had been taking a drunken prisoner to Crawley police station at the time of the fatal crash in January 2005.

Karen Stagg, 47, from East Grinstead, was killed and her 12-year-old son injured when the 4x4 marked police car hit her vehicle after going through a red light at a junction, with the siren and blue lights switched on.

Andrews-Faulkner, who has been a policeman for 22 years, denied causing death by dangerous driving.

Mark White, of the Sussex Police Federation, said on Wednesday that the police officer had not been appealing against the fine or the conviction.

"I wouldn't say he is pleased. He is still very sorry and regretful about a terrible tragedy that he caused," he said.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said now that the criminal trial and appeal had been completed, Sussex Police would be making recommendations about what disciplinary action it intended to take against Andrews-Faulkner.