THE wife of a taxi driver who lost a leg in a roadside crash spoke of her shock after the motorist responsible received six penalty points and a £115 fine.

Fab Kabs boss Jeremy Mayers, 63, was crushed by Laura Llewellyn’s Rover as he loaded a suitcase into the back of his cab in Greenhill Road, Pontypool.

The dad-of-two had his right leg amputated at the knee, while his left leg was also smashed and his injured back had to be pinned on both sides. He is still in hospital more than eight months after the accident on January 19.

Mr Mayers, of St Johns (corr) Crescent, Pontypool, can barely lift his back and it is feared he may never walk again.

Llewellyn, 28, ploughed into the cab after being blinded by the sun, which suddenly came out from behind a building or clouds, a court heard.

Llewellyn, of Sunnybank Road, Griffithstown, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention on Monday [July 28].

Cwmbran magistrate Cathryn Brooker gave her a £115 fine, £85 prosecution costs and a £20 surcharge, plus six points on her licence meaning she can still drive.

Speaking after the hearing the taxi driver’s wife Lesley Mayers, 58, said: “It is crazy.

“My husband is really good, he is very strong physically and mentally.

“It is not going to beat him.

“But it has turned our life upside down.

“I am disappointed in the outcome but I can’t change it.”

Mr Mayers had had 13 operations and is likely to continue undergoing rehabilitation for at least two years.

Gwent PC Jodie Davies, prosecuting, told Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court it was believed he would never walk or stand again.

Llewellyn’s barrister, Victoria Thomas, said her client had been suddenly blinded by the sun adding it had caused glare to the road surface.

She stressed Llewellyn had never been in trouble with the law before, had a clean driving licence, adding she was not driving at speed, erratically or under the influence of alcohol and had no mobile phone with her.

Ms Brooker said the court bench had imposed their sentence in line with legal guidelines for an offence of driving without due care and attention and stressed that compensation would be dealt with by insurance companies.

Ms Brooker told the court: “We recognise this is a tragic accident which has resulted in severe injury.

“We have listened to carefully the evidence and mitigation put forward and also the victim impact statement.”