Traumatised mother who ran over cyclist, 77, after she fell into road says her life’s been ruined
This is the driver who says her life was ruined after she ran over and killed an elderly cyclist who was thrown off the sidewalk and onto the road by a pedestrian, MailOnline reveals.
Carla Money says she is so devastated it has led to her marriage breaking up and suffering from PTSD.
Ms Money, 33, a mother of two, was driving her VW Passat through Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, in October 2020 when she hit Celia Ward, 77.
Earlier this week, 49-year-old Auriol Gray was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment at Peterborough Crown Court for manslaughter after she gestured to Ms Ward in a ‘hostile and aggressive manner’ while shouting ‘get off the goddamn curb’ as she came cycling to her.
The court heard Mrs Ward hit the road because of this before she was hit by a car driven by Mrs Money, who was returning from a playdate with her son.
Carla Money was unable to stop her VW Passat in time after cyclist Celia Ward fell into the road in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, in October 2020. The 77-year-old was hit by Ms Money and died from her injuries
Mum-of-two Ms Money (pictured) said she was traumatized by the incident, which saw Auriol Grey, 49, this week sentenced to three years in prison at Peterborough Crown Court for manslaughter after giving birth to Ms Ward in a ‘hostile and aggressive manner’ as she drove down the sidewalk
She told the court that her “whole life has been turned upside down,” destroying her marriage as she struggles to deal with PTSD.
Mrs Money, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, said: ‘Not only did you (Mrs Grey) betray my trust, but a part of me was lost. A little piece of the Carla everyone knew went that day.
“I no longer have a cheerful personality.
“I couldn’t stand talking to people. Because of your selfish actions, my children suffered, they lost their mother.
“Mommy didn’t want to be near them or play with them. I had trouble getting out of bed and was feisty.’
She added: “My relationship with my husband has collapsed to the point that we are getting a divorce. My seven and four-year-old children are now dealing with divorced parents.’
Gray is partially blind and also has cognitive problems.
The court heard that until sentencing, Gray had expressed ‘no remorse’ for her actions and had walked to a local supermarket before emergency services arrived on the scene.
Her lawyers are now appealing after a bail application was rejected on her behalf today.
Auriol Gray (pictured for sentencing on Thursday), 49, angrily swiped at 77-year-old Celia Ward and told her to ‘get off the goddamn curb’, Peterborough Crown Court heard
Grandmother Celia Ward, 77, (pictured with husband David) died in the crash in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, after Auriol Gray, 49, raised her hand and cursed as she passed her on the pavement. She was hit by Carla Money’s VW Passat. Mrs Money didn’t have time to stop
Gray is single and lives alone in an adapted home in Huntingdon, Cambs.
She is partially estranged from her mother, who, according to sources, “has no interest in her daughter,” saying, “They never see each other, but occasionally talk on the phone.”
Her sister passed away two years ago and she has no husband or partner.
A source said: “She is all alone and has only one friend who accompanied her to court. There is no one in her life, it’s very sad.’
The court was told about Gray’s health problems, but the judge told her, “These actions are not accounted for by disability.”
Judge Enright also criticized her “unfair record in (police) interrogation” and said there was “not a word of regret until today.”
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Sean Enright acknowledged Grey’s health issues, but told her they “do not diminish your understanding of right or wrong.”
Judge Enright said he could only order an immediate jail sentence, telling Gray she “disliked the presence of an approaching cyclist” and that her actions “are not accounted for by disability.”
Ms Money (pictured left) says she was so devastated by the collision that it led to her marriage breaking up and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“This was a shared path for cyclists and pedestrians, I’m sure you knew cyclists used the path and were not surprised,” the judge said.
Gray’s lawyer argued that there was “no intent to cause harm.” A probation officer also highlighted her vulnerability if placed in the prison system.
Gray was described as “childlike” and the parole officer believed she “posed no ongoing risk to the community.”
In a statement read in court, Gillian Hayter, Celia’s daughter, said: ‘The defendant’s lack of any remorse cannot be underestimated as it has a profound effect on all of us.
‘I can still remember the details of the conversation when I heard that my mother had died in a bicycle accident.
“The panic, disbelief and shock of losing her in such a terrible accident was hard to comprehend.
“But the news that it was not a tragic accident, but a deliberate act of violence, was incomprehensible.
“Mom is the least violent person.
“We haven’t had a chance to really grieve, and the trial has been a constant reminder that Mom is gone.”
Auriol Grey, 49, angrily gestured at 77-year-old Celia Ward and told her to ‘get off the damn curb’ as she cycled in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, in October 2020
CCTV footage showed Gray (pictured arriving at court on Thursday), who has cerebral palsy, raising her hand as Ms Ward lost her footing and landed on the road
Ms Ward’s widower, retired RAF pilot David Ward, said in a statement read to the court by Prosecutor Simon Spence KC that the ‘clip of Celia’s last moments will haunt me forever’.
“Rarely a day goes by without thinking about her and our happy life together, but I can so easily burst into tears, as I often do,” he said.
The pair met in 1965 and enjoyed playing golf and seeing the world on cruise vacations in their retirement, the court was told.
‘I miss her terribly and after a year and a half alone I felt the need to sell our house of 34 years and moved to a retirement village near Romsey (in Hampshire),’ said Mr Ward.
He added that he did this to be closer to his family, including their daughter Gillian Hayter.