An 82-year-old driver who left a man with "catastrophic life-changing injuries" when she crushed him between his car and her own has been spared an immediate jail term.
Pensioner Sylvia Blackman ploughed into the 57-year-old man as he went to get a can of fuel from his boot on September 19 last year.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Blackman "clearly didn't see the vehicle with its hazard warning lights" on as she drove along Station Road in Wallsend .
She drove her Fiat Punto straight into the back of his Renault Clio, crushing him between the two cars.
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The court heard that the formerly active and sociable musician has been left in an "endless cycle of pain" by the physical and psychological injuries from that day.
Prosecutor Neil Pallister said he suffered a brain haemorrhage, fractured leg and facial injuries - and has since suffered from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression following his ordeal.
In his victim impact statement, the man said: "I’m in constant pain from the moment I wake up until I fall asleep.
"I often find myself staring at the clock wishing the time away. I no longer look forward to socialising, which isn't like me at all.
"Over Christmas the general noise and merriment were too much for me to cope with. I played a gig in December but the noise was too much for me.
"Every day feels like Groundhog Day - an endless cycle of pain when I wake up.
"I used to be very active, enjoying things like mountain biking and paragliding. I'm now limited to the equivalent of a hamster's wheel - an exercise bike at home."
Mr Pallister said on the day of the crash the victim had been working as a musician and tutor in Newcastle city centre , before socialising with his friend and brother, and dropping his friend off in Wallsend.
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As he made his way home, the court heard, he ran out of fuel on Station Road, turned on his hazard warning lights, got out of the car and went to the boot to retrieve a fuel can.
Mr Pallister said: "Sylvia Blackman was driving along that road in a Fiat Punto.
"She must have been distracted in some way and clearly didn’t see the vehicle with its hazard warning lights."
The victim said he did not want Blackman to go to prison, but added: "She is clearly a danger to road users and shouldn't be driving."
Jamie Adams, mitigating, praised the man's 'magnanimous approach', adding: "He understands that what occurred that day was a terrible accident."
Mr Adams told the court Blackman "has had many sleepless nights thinking about what occurred".
"She's the sort of woman who we would all want to know. She's had a very industrious working life and she and her husband are known for the good work and charity they do.
"She's not someone who needs to be punished, she will continue to punish herself for what happened."
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Blackman, of Great Lime Road, Forest Hall , pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Judge Stephen Earl sentenced her to 10 months in prison, but suspended the sentence for two years.
She was also handed a three year driving ban and must take the extended driving test before she can drive again.
The judge said: "This is an unfortunate set of circumstances when everything comes together at the wrong time and the wrong place.
"Five minutes later and he would have put the fuel in and gone, five minutes earlier and he wouldn't have been there in the first place.
"No sentence I can pass would compensate him for his catastrophic injuries."
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