A woman has been jailed for more than two years for crashing into a stationary car and killing a man while attempting to send a birthday message on Facebook.

Wendy Thompson, 53, of Barnetby, north Lincolnshire, pleaded guilty to causing the death of Rodney Lewis, 84, by dangerous driving and causing serious injury to his 77-year-old wife Marlene.

The couple had stopped to help their 21-year-old grandson after his Ford Fiesta broke down on the North Circular Road in London on February 3 last year.

They were waiting for a recovery vehicle when Mrs Thompson ploughed into the back of their car.

Mr Thompson died of his injuries, while MrsLewis suffered a shattered pelvis and broken hip.

After the collision, the defendant told alorry driver, who had stopped to help: "I was trying to put my charger inmy phone, I just didn't see him."

The court was told how Mrs Thompson was onher way to a business meeting and struggled to plug her handset into her carafter it was running low on battery.

A crash investigator found she would havebeen able to avoid the collision if if she had not been distracted by hermobile phone.

Prosecutor Oliver Dunkin said: "This lady foolishly attempted to resend a mobile telephone message by holding the telephone and at the same time using her other hand to plug it in to charge."

Tahir Khan QC, defending, said Thompson would carry the guilt of her wrongdoing "for the rest of her life" and admitted her responsibility.

Mrs Thompson was sentenced to two years and three months for dangerous driving and 15 months for causing serious injury, to run concurrently.

She was also banned from driving for 10 years.