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A former Army major who killed his partner when his motorcycle crashed has been sentenced.

Jonathan Ginder, 61, hit the central reservation on the A1(M) in Hertfordshire after colliding with a car on the northbound carriageway.

Ria Malone, 56, a nurse at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, was riding pillion and died afterwards.

Ginder, of Hall Street, Soham, Cambridgeshire was jailed for 10 months, suspended for two years.

He previously pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.

The crash happened just before midday on 11 January 2020 near junction six, at Welwyn Garden City.

The prosecution said Ginder failed to notice a black Mazda when crossing to the outside lane while travelling between 56 and 68mph (90km/h and 109km/h), meaning he did not have enough time to do the necessary checks.

Prosecutor Will Noble said if Ginder had paused before crossing lanes he would have spotted the car.

'Terrible tragedy'

Ginder suffered a broken left tibia and knee ligament damage, leaving him immobilised for six months, the court heard.

Mitigating, Trevor Burke QC said Ginder said the incident was "as brief as it was tragic."

Ginder was of previous good character and the moments leading up to the crash were not preceded by persistent bad driving, Mr Burke said.

He said: "He has not ridden a motorcycle since the incident and has no intention of riding a motorbike again.

"The victim was his partner - he loved her and she loved him. They were committed to spending the rest of their lives together. She had adopted his passion for motorcycles."

Judge Michael QC Kay, sentencing at St Albans Crown Court, said it had been a "terrible tragedy" for all involved.

As well as the suspended sentence, Ginder was given a curfew for four months and a 12-month driving ban.

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