A trucker who killed a 93-year-old grandmother as she crossed the road with her walking stick in Maida Hill has been jailed for a year today.

Gary Johnson, 52, crushed under frail Margaret O’Brien under the wheels of his 30 foot-long Scania truck as she crossed the Harrow Road at the junction of Chippenham Road

The Old Bailey heard she only made it half-way across the road when the lights turned green and Johnson pulled away his 16-tonne truck killing her in March 2013.

Johnson was tried for causing death by careless driving at Southwark Crown Court in August last year, but the jury were unable to reach a verdict.

He pleaded guilty to the charge on October 26 on the first day of his retrial.

Witness Khaled El-Mayet said in a statement: “A little old lady, with a walking stick and pulling a red trolley, started crossing the road very slowly.

“As she got towards the middle of the road I was concerned for her.

“At the time the lights were still red for us. She was then just at the corner of the lorry when I saw the lorry start to move forward when the lights turned green.

“I started beeping, trying to warn him that he was going to kill her.”

Johnson stopped his truck 40 metres down Harrow Road and got out of his cab a minute later where he was seen to fall to his knees and shout ‘oh my God’.

Mr El-Mayet added: “As soon as he got out from the lorry he went down on his knees and was screaming, looking completely shocked.”

Johnson from South Ockendon in Essex, admitted causing death by careless driving.

He will be released after 6 months and serve the rest of his sentence out on licence.