A 40-year-old trader who drowned her sorrows after she was robbed sparked a tragic chain of events which ended with two road accidents and a woman dying.

Dutch national Sylvia Williams was at the wheel of a VW Caddy van which crashed on the coast-bound carriageway of the M20 between Junctions 2 and 3, Addington, at about 6.30pm on December 15.

The driver of a Fiat Punto saw the accident and stopped on the hard shoulder to help, putting hazard lights on before leaving the vehicle.

But a third car, a Nissan Almera, then lost control and crashed into the Fiat. The driver of the Nissan, a 60-year-old woman from Capel le Ferne, near Folkestone, got out but collapsed at the scene and died.

A post mortem examination later confirmed she had died of a heart attack.

Williams, from Almere, Netherlands, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen of blood when she appeared before magistrates in Maidstone.

Williams told police she had fallen asleep at the wheel twice – the second time hitting the central reservation.

A single breath test carried out on Williams gave a positive reading for alcohol.

However, she refused to give further breath or blood tests because of her great distress at what had happened.

Mitigating, Toby Burrough said Williams, of Nigerian origin, owned a supermarket selling specialist Nigerian foodstuffs, and had been buying supplies in Dalston, London, the day before the accident.

On trying to return home, she became lost and was offered help by members of the Nigerian community who had befriended her while she was in London.

Williams bought them a drink as a thank you, but while she was distracted a large sum of money was taken from her handbag.

After the incident, Williams spent the night in her van in London, buying a bottle of alcohol to console herself and drinking it into the early hours of December 15.

Later that day, she set out for home via the M20 and Dover. When she crashed, Williams called the emergency services straight away but could do nothing to stop the tragic chain of events unfolding.

Mr Burrough said: “She bitterly regrets her actions and is ashamed of her behaviour.

“She has had difficulty sleeping and has been having nightmares. She awakes with the fear that there is blood on her hands and feels partly responsible for what has happened.

“This is a lady who has had a large amount of money removed from her by people who described themselves as her fellow countrymen, while in a strange country.”

Magistrates committed Williams to crown court for sentencing at a later date before remanding her in custody. She was given an interim driving ban.