A SINGLE mother-of-two will not be jailed for causing the death of a motorcyclist when she pulled out to overtake another car, magistrates have ruled.

Natasha Sheppard was driving a blue Fiat Panda on the the A338 near Newton Tony when she got stuck in a queue of slow moving traffic, Salisbury Magistrates' Court was told on Friday.

Travelling south towards Salisbury at just past 11am on April 22, 2018, the 32-year-old followed other cars in overtaking a Jaguar.

But, as she pulled out, she didn't notice biker Kevin McGarvey, 35, who was out riding with two other motorcyclists, who had passed Sheppard moments before.

His Suzuki 600 then smashed into the back of her car and veered into the verge on the other side of the road.

The court heard that nearby motorists, including Sheppard, leapt to Kevin's aid as he lay on the side of the busy road.

Sheppard, who was not injured in the incident, then spoke to the 35-year-old in a bid to keep him alive, her defence said, asking him questions such as "Where are you going?" and "Do you have children?".

However, when ambulance crews arrived, Kevin, of Thame, in Oxfordshire, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Still looking visibly shaken and upset while standing in the dock, Sheppard pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.

Speaking during the case, the Crown Prosecution Service claimed Sheppard's actions were "a momentary lapse of concentration" for which she has "always admitted guilt".

This was a point backed by Sheppard's defence team, who added: "The family will never get over this; Miss Sheppard will never get over it.

"She wants to express her sorrow to the family. She knows nothing can be said to make it better, but she wants them to know that she is exceptionally sorry."

During sentencing, chairperson of the bench Mrs A Mihell said: "We have listened to the description of the tragic events which occurred on that road nearly two years ago.

"This is a difficult case to sentence and we have taken into account all the things we have heard.

"We have decided we will give a community order, and ban you from driving."

Sheppard was given ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work, disqualified from driving for 18 months, and told to pay a total of £170 in costs.