London taxi driver found guilty of causing death by careless driving but spared jail time

A London taxi driver was found guilty on Thursday by a majority of 10-2 at the Old Bailey of causing death by careless driving. Jerome Lee, 72, was spared jail time as the family of the victim hugged and consoled him as he sobbed after the decision was announced. Lee was sentenced to a 12 month community order with an unpaid work requirement of 60 hours. He was also ordered to pay £200 in costs, carry out 10 hours of rehabilitation and was disqualified from driving for 12 months. In an article published in TaxiPoint on Tuesday, it was reported that a collision occurred when taxi driver Lee began to execute a u-turn on Farringdon road, London, when his vehicle hit a motorcycle, throwing Claire Berretti, the passenger on the bike, into the air. Berretti suffered catastrophic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The rider of the bike, Shaun Hoffman, was thrown to the ground but survived. At the time of impact, Hoffman was riding at twice the speed limit. He pleaded guilty to speeding and has been prosecuted.