A LORRY driver has walked free from court despite seriously injuring an elderly woman who had to have her right arm amputated.

Marcel Georgescu, 43, admitted carelessly driving a 40-tonne lorry which knocked down 77-year-old Rose Lethbridge in Southend.

Georgescu, a Romanian national, was said to have shown “genuine remorse” in his police interview and left court with six points on his driving licence, a £73 fine, £20 victim surcharge and an £85 bill for costs.

However, witnesses claim the punishment was not enough.

Speaking after the case, Michael Hart, of Formula One Autocentres, which is near where the crash happened, said: “It is absolutely disgusting and the feelings here are running very wild.

“It is just not justifiable at all to only get six points and a £70 fine.”

Rachel Weller, a courier driver for Motex, also witnessed the crash and remained with Mrs Lethbridge while she was treated.

She said: “To put it politely, it is totally unfair given her injuries.”

As well as losing her right arm, Mrs Lethbridge suffered a fractured collarbone, seven fractured ribs and had a collapsed left lung.

Southend Magistrates' Court was told on Friday that Georgescu had been driving down Sutton Road at about 12.55pm on August 29 before turning into Stock Road.

Prosecutor Simon Bravery told the court: “Mr Georgescu failed to see her and knocked her to the ground as he was turning.

“She remained under the lorry for some while, but he didn’t stop the lorry.

“He reversed and she was taken to the Royal London Hospital by air ambulance.

“She suffered serious injuries, but has been released from intensive care and her condition is described as stable.”

Georgescu’s solicitor Jay Kallagher told the court his client had been married 19 years with a 17-year-old son, had worked as a lorry driver since he was 19 and had no previous convictions.

She said: “He made full admission at the police station and the officer on the case noted he showed genuine remorse throughout the interview.

“He wants to make it known to the court today that he understands the tragic consequences of his driving on this day and told me he could not express in words how remorseful he is.”

THE COURT heard Georgescu’s fine would be paid by a Tilbury firmlinked to his employers in Romania.

Georgescu was employed by Arcese Romania, part of the Arcese logistics group, which has a branch in Tilbury.

It is expected that the Romanian part of the company, which also owned the lorry being driven in the incident, will reimburse Arcese UK.

Keith Leutchford, managing director of Arcese UK, said: “The driver arrived directly from Europe to deliver the cargo to their production plant in the UK, which was close to the point of the accident.

“As the Romanian driver had no assistance in the UK we have been helping the police and legal services to make communication with the Romanian owners of the truck.

“Arcese UK is based at Tilbury and has 160 employees of which a large proportion are UK drivers making national domestic UK work.”

The court heard the victim had been released from an intensive care ward at the Royal London Hospital and is in a stable condition.

Rachel Weller said: “I have been in contact with her family a couple of times and given the nature of her accident and the severity of her injuries I would say she is doing remarkably well.”