Reckless driver who swerved off road and killed mum of two jailed

A man from Merthyr Tydfil has been jailed for killing Catherine Bradford when he lost control of a car he was driving through Dowlais on September 19, 2022.

Alex Rickwood, 32, of Wern Isaf, Dowlais, appeared to be sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Monday, June 30.

Just before he was due to stand trial, in May (2025), more than two and half years after the incident, he changed his not guilty pleas to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving an uninsured vehicle, and fraudulently using a trade plate, to guilty pleas.

At the time of the incident, he was driving a MG ZR car in way that one eyewitness described as ‘crazy fast’. His friend – the car’s owner – was a front seat passenger at the time. Rickwood lost control of the car at a bend on High Street, Dowlais, and ploughed straight into Catherine Bradford, who at the time was on the pavement.

The 52 year-old mum of two was hit with so much force that an eyewitness described how they saw what they thought was debris from the car fly through the air, only to realise it was Catherine. A lamppost which the car hit crashed to the ground.

A member of the public who was first on the scene stopped her car and ran over to Catherine who had come to rest on a grass verge. She carried out CPR until paramedics, including crew members of the Air Ambulance, took over, but their efforts were in vain and she was pronounced deceased at the scene. It is believed the force of the collision killed her instantly.

Alex Rickwood suffered minor cuts and bruises while his friend – who told officers the car was being driven too fast – suffered a broken arm.

Rickwood, a mechanic and a qualified heavy goods vehicle driver, fraudulently used a Trade Plate whilst driving the car.

He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, June 30, when he was jailed for five years and five months, and was banned from driving for more than seven years.

Serious Collision Investigator, Detective Constable Matthew Jones, said: “Catherine’s family have been left utterly heartbroken by their loss and I hope today’s verdict somehow enables them to move on from this tragedy and they can begin to rebuild their lives.

“As a mechanic and a professional driver, Alex Rickwood should have known better. He was irresponsible and reckless and his actions that day changed the lives of many people, not least his own – he should take the considerable time he will spend in prison to reflect on the choices he made and the devastation they caused. 

“A car in the wrong hands is a lethal weapon – sadly, this is often not appreciated enough until tragedy happens.”