A GWENT Police officer was fined £2,000 and banned from driving for a year after a crash which led to the death of an Usk prison officer.

Police constable Christopher Browning, 28, who serves in Newport, denied causing the death of motorcyclist Gordon Bowyer, 44, from Maesycwmmer, by dangerous driving in an off-duty crash.

But on the third day of his trial, the prosecution said they had reappraised the case and Browning pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of careless driving, which the crown accepted.

Prosecutor Hywel Hughes told Cardiff crown court: "When I opened the case I indicated the standard to be achieved was to find that Browning's driving fell far below the standard of a competent motorist."

But after reassessing the evidence, Mr Hughes said: "The evidence supports careless driving."

Mr Bowyer lost control of his machine when he was travelling to work at Usk along the A467 near Crumlin on April 13 last year.

Browning, of The Highway, New Inn, driving a red Peugeot 307 was negotiating a right turn.

Mr Bowyer lost control when he travelled into a narrow gap on the nearside of the car and struck a curb, with "minimal contact" between the bike and car.

Mr Bowyer came off his bike and hit an electricity box.

Tom Crowther, for Browning, said: "This is a case of inexpressible regret and guilt on the part of the defendant."

He said that when Browning looked to his left on the turn, the motorcycle was not visible on the straight. But Browning failed to look a second time.

Judge Stephen Hopkins said: "As the result of a momentary error of judgement when you executed a right turn a decent family man, husband and father has lost his life."

No sentence, he said could compensate for the loss the Bowyer family has suffered which was something incalculable.

The judge added that the maximum sentence for careless driving is a fine of £5,000 and added: "Not much for a life."

Policeman 'made example of' - Police Federation AFTER the hearing, the chairman of Gwent Police Federation Jeff Mapps, claimed the Gwent Police investigation was "over-zealous at best" and suggested the police wanted to make an example of Browning because he was a police officer.

Mr Mapps said the federation would be speaking to Browning and had not ruled out taking some form of action against the force.

He said: "All I can say is the case did not meet the CPS guidelines on offences like this.

"This was never anything other than driving without due care and attention.

"Chris and his family feel most sorry for the family of Gordon Bowyer whose expectations have clearly been raised."

He said Browning had been off work for months due to ill health.

A Gwent CPS spokesman said the case had been dealt with by North Wales CPS because Browning was a serving officer in Gwent.

A Gwent Police spokesman said: "The tragic death of Mr Bowyer was fully investigated in the same manner as all fatal traffic collisions."

The CPS made the decision to prosecute on the charge and the court has "come to its conclusion"