The driver of a lorry that crashed and left a sight impaired woman with life changing injuries has been sentenced to 300 hours of community service at Truro Crown Court.

Paul Ince, 47, of Leyland, Lancashire, also received a three-year driving ban, and a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Judge Robert Linford said at the sentencing: "I can't help but feel that you, as the lorry driver, have been made a scapegoat by your employer."

The accident happened on September 2, 2016, as Kay Kitto loaded her car on Oakfield Road as she prepared to go on holiday with her family.

Kay, who is registered severely sight impaired, was struck by a DAF van after it was hit by a lorry driven by Ince.

The lorry was later found to have a safety latch missing which caused a support leg to come loose and hang out to the side while Ince was driving.

After the sentencing, Kay left a comment on social media saying: "I feel sorry for him as his boss and his supervisor hung him out to take all the punishment. I met with him after and sending him to prison would not have done him any good at this time."

She suffered a fractured spine, femur, tibia, fibula, and knee, and also required skin grafts and had contusions to her head. Her guide dog Jackie was also involved in the accident and was thrown from the boot of the car. Her son Dex, who was nine years old at the time, and husband Nigel witnessed the accident.

When it was checked, the lorry involved was found to have 18 faults, and was described by an expert as one of the "top ten worst" he had seen in 30 years.

On Friday, Gavin Morris Bentley, 40, of Cannock in Staffordshire, was fined £9,000, given 10 points on his licence, and charged £1,000 in prosecution fees for his involvement in the accident.

Bentley is the director of Midland Poling Services, the company which owned the lorry involved in the crash.

Paul O'Toole, 50, also of Cannock, is employed as a supervisor at the company, and was fined £2,000, given a 14 day driving ban, and made to pay £1,000 in prosecution costs.

Bentley and O'Toole originally pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting serious injury by dangerous driving, but changed their pleas to guilty after the charge was changed to aiding and abetting dangerous driving.