A homeless drug addict has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison after stealing a helpless man’s mobility scooter and leaving him to die in freezing temperatures.

Gloucester Crown Court heard that Neil Shadwick, who suffered from severe Parkinson’s disease, was dragged along the road in Stroud. Gloucestershire, as Kimberley Ann Hawkins raced away from a supermarket.

The 63-year-old was left alone for several hours in freezing temperatures between -4 and -6 degrees Celsius and later died in hospital.

The court heard that Hawkins, 41, went to two cash machines to withdraw money after having sexual contact with Mr Shadwick at around 2.30am on January 22, 2023.

The surveillance camera showed the father of two children and the defendant reaching the second ATM of a Tesco supermarket together on the scooter.

As Mr. Shadwick reached for the ATM, Hawkins jumped onto the seat and sped away while Mr. Shadwick desperately held on.

Prosecutor Mary Cowe told the court the footage showed the defendant “driving on without stopping” and dragging Mr Shadwick along the road.

“This was a man who was physically vulnerable… (who) spoke slurred and had difficulty walking,” adding that Hawkins “had known him for many months and had had a close bond with him.”

“His level of vulnerability would have been obvious to her even if she had just met him.”

Ms Cowe said Hawkins had “told a friend that she had performed sexual favours for Mr Shadwick and he could not pay”.

Hawkins, wearing a coat, scarf, hat and gloves in temperatures of around -4°C, abandoned the scooter when the battery ran out.

Mr Shadwick fell off the scooter near the Tesco petrol station and crawled back to the cash machine, where he collapsed and was only discovered when supermarket staff arrived for work at around 5.45am.

In the ambulance, Mr Shadwick was able to say “Kim” and “robbery” before he was taken to hospital, where he died later that day.

Hawkins, of no fixed address, had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter, aggravated vehicle theft and assault involving Mr Shadwick. She also admitted separate, unrelated theft and drug offences.

“Horrified” by video footage

Mr Shadwick’s daughter Victoria Bentley said her father must have been “terrified” when he was left alone and was “horrified” when she saw the CCTV footage.

In a victim impact statement, she said: “He had no phone and no way of getting help. He must have been terrified when he realised he had been abandoned and did not know if and when help would come.”

Judge Peter Blair KC, Bristol City Judge, imposed a sentence of six years’ imprisonment for manslaughter, followed by a six-month term for other offences.

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The court also heard a statement from Mr Shadwick’s sister Tania Rickards, who said: “He must have been in so much pain. Neil did not deserve to be treated like this and abandoned. I am so proud of the evidence he gave to the police.”

Defence lawyer Sarah Jenkins claimed there was “no premeditation” and described Hawkins as “a single woman, a drug addict, who offered sexual services for payment to fund her Class A drug habit”.

“She will regret it for the rest of her life and wishes she could turn back time, she would,” she said.

“Insensitive” and “heartbreaking”

In sentencing, the judge told Hawkins: “You knew from your dealings with him that he was vulnerable.”

“He was left alone in the freezing cold night for about three hours with no one to help him before Tesco staff arrived to work,” he said.

Detective Inspector Adam Stacey, who led the investigation, said: “Hawkins’ actions were callous and had fatal consequences for a man she knew to be extremely vulnerable.”

“It is heartbreaking to watch the footage… the family feel betrayed that they did not have the chance to say goodbye to Neil as he was taken from them in such a cruel way.”