AN UNINSURED motorcyclist who struck a pedestrian walking in the middle of the road has avoided a jail term.

Darren Lampard, of Hogarth Court, Andover, was riding his red Honda motorbike along New Street when he hit William Hatherall on Sunday, October 14.

Mr Hatherall had been “drinking heavily” at the Foresters Arms throughout the afternoon and by the time he left, before 11pm, he was inebriated, Winchester Crown Court heard today.

As he was walking along New Street, Mr Hatherall came into the path of another driver who had to negotiate around him, but later Lampard, driving at between 44 to 49mph, collided with the father-of-one.

The 49-year-old was taken to hospital but he died of his injuries on October 16.

In court today, Lampard was handed 20 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

The court was told that as Lampard drove towards Mr Hatherall, the victim seemed oblivious of the traffic and “made no meaningful attempt to get out of the way of the motorcycle”.

Tom Wright, prosecuting, said that after the collision, the 52-year-old Lampard came back to the scene briefly and was in shock but then made his way off on foot.

Lampard handed himself into the police station on October 16, having tried the previous day but he said the station was closed and in his interview, he made a full confession.

“He extended his apologies to the family of the deceased and was remorseful about what happened,” Mr Wright said.

He told Judge Susan Evans that Lampard had a history of motoring convictions and in March 2015 was disqualified for driving at 121mph on a motorway when the limit was 70.

On the night of the collision, Lampard did not have insurance or a driving licence, which he admitted to at a previous hearing.

Fern Russell, defending, said that Lampard had only come back to the UK to sort out his house for it to be rented as he had been living in Ukraine, following his wife’s death in 2014, and he had not heard from the DVLA about the authority returning his licence.

That night, Lampard had been to get a takeaway and was travelling home when the collision occurred. Ms Russell said that despite him riding above the speed limit, there would have been a "split second difference" in seeing Mr Hatherall in the road, compared to if he had been travelling at 30mph.

She said Lampard “wouldn’t have expected a pedestrian in the road walking towards him. This undoubtedly was an unusual situation”.

Since the incident, he has “felt undeniably very bad and suicidal” and has been diagnosed with adjustment disorder which is affected by him being in Andover after the death of his wife.

In sentencing, Judge Evans said: “You should have stayed [at the scene], I do accept your mental health issues would have had an affect on your behaviour.”

She added that she was concerned about Lampard’s driving record but that he had shown obvious remorse since the incident.

Lampard was also ordered to carry out 20 rehabilitation days and was banned from driving for 18 months.

He had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by driving without due care and attention and driving without a licence and insurance.