A driver who struck a 94-year-old woman and caused her serious injuries as she walked to her local shop to buy bananas has been cleared of causing her death.

Sean Hill was acquitted by a jury of causing Hannah Eady’s death by careless driving and causing death by driving while uninsured.

He had admitted careless driving and having no insurance and was fined £2,000 and banned for two years after a judge said: “My powers are limited.”

He told 32-year-old Hill: “It is a desperately sad case for Hannah Eady, her family and for you and your family.”

Maidstone Crown Court heard Mrs Eady was on her way to the shop on August 9 2014 when the tragedy happened.

Hill had parked his car on double yellow lines outside a launderette in Hollybush Lane near the junction of St John’s Hill in Sevenoaks where he was dropping off washing in the morning.

Mrs Eady, who lived alone, was crossing Hollybush Lane when she saw the Renault Megane reversing.

She waved her arms to attract the driver’s attention to tell him he was travelling the wrong way in the one-way street.

But the car struck her and the her next memory was waking up in Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

Prosecutor Christopher May said Mrs Eady fell to the ground. One of the rear wheels went over he left leg.

The car then went forward and drove over the same leg a second time.

Witness Mary Dewell knew Mrs Eady’s vision was poor and when she saw the car reversing shouted to her “No, wait.” But she kept walking and was hit.

Mrs Dewell shouted “Stop, stop” to the driver. As the car went over Mrs Eady’s leg for the second time she could be heard saying: “Oh no, no, no, no.”

She suffered fractures to her left arm and hip. She never returned home and died more than four months later on Christmas Day from deep vein thrombosis.

Hill, now of Prospect Place, Ferry Court, Cardiff, denied both charges.

“Having been before the collision active and independent, she suffered greatly during this period. It was a case of a momentary lapse in driving" - Judge Charles Macdonald QC

He said he and his family had just moved to a new house where they spent the night before the accident.

He parked on yellow lines to run into the launderette with three bags of washing.

When he came out, he said, he checked his mirrors and looked over his left shoulder to reverse.

Hill said he did not realise he had hit anybody. He heard a faint scream and stopped. He drove slightly forward.

He got out of his car and saw Mrs Eady lying in the road. He did not hear anybody shouting to him to stop.

Judge Charles Macdonald QC said Hill had reversed carelessly into the unfortunate victim.

“She sustained serious injuries and underwent a prolonged stay in hospital, then in a nursing home,” he added.

“Having been before the collision active and independent, she suffered greatly during this period. It was a case of a momentary lapse in driving."

Hill was given three months to pay the fine.