A decorated policeman who killed a Wolverhampton mother in a car crash as he rushed to investigate a school burglary has been fined £1,000.

Pc Gary Smith, aged 26, admitted carelessly driving through a red light and a main city junction before ploughing into the car carrying Bhupinder Kaur and her family. The officer, who now faces a disciplinary hearing, was also banned from driving for a year. Yesterday Smith denied causing death by dangerous driving, but admitted careless driving.

The decision to accept the lesser charge was condemned by the family of Mrs Kaur, from Fallings Park.

Mrs Kaur and her three children were being driven home by husband Narinder Singh after visiting relatives in Kent shortly before Christmas when Smith collided with their car at the junction of Willenhall Road and Neachells Lane in Moseley as he rushed to reports of a break-in.

Mr Singh’s Ford Escort went spinning into another vehicle and Smith’s car went onto the kerb.

In the run up to the accident Smith had driven at up to 49mph in a 30mph limit along Neachells Lane.

Smith was just over the 45mph recommended maximum speed for police drivers heading to emergencies. He slowed to around 15mph as he entered the junction then accelerated.

Read more in the Express & StarA decorated policeman who killed a Wolverhampton mother in a car crash as he rushed to investigate a school burglary has been fined £1,000.

Pc Gary Smith, aged 26, admitted carelessly driving through a red light and a main city junction before ploughing into the car carrying Bhupinder Kaur and her family. The officer, who now faces a disciplinary hearing, was also banned from driving for a year. Yesterday Smith denied causing death by dangerous driving, but admitted careless driving.

The decision to accept the lesser charge was condemned by the family of Mrs Kaur, from Fallings Park.

Mrs Kaur and her three children were being driven home by husband Narinder Singh after visiting relatives in Kent shortly before Christmas when Smith collided with their car at the junction of Willenhall Road and Neachells Lane in Moseley as he rushed to reports of a break-in.

Mr Singh’s Ford Escort went spinning into another vehicle and Smith’s car went onto the kerb.

In the run up to the accident Smith had driven at up to 49mph in a 30mph limit along Neachells Lane.

Smith was just over the 45mph recommended maximum speed for police drivers heading to emergencies. He slowed to around 15mph as he entered the junction then accelerated.Mrs Kaur’s daughter Gulsharan Anmol said her family was “deeply disappointed” with the outcome.

Mr Tim Green, prosecuting, told Warwick Crown court: “The most likely explanation is that Pc Smith did slow, looked to the right and didn’t see any traffic coming. He was still going too fast and wasn’t paying attention to vehicles coming from his left.”

He said Smith, whose address was given in court as Police Federation HQ in Birmingham, had continued looking to the right before hitting Mr Singh’s car on the junction at around 35mph.

Mrs Kaur, aged 46, who worked at McCain foods in Bushbury, died 30 minutes after the crash on December 17.

Smith, who was also ordered to pay £400 costs, said he did not know what had happened in the minutes following the crash.

By Crime Correspondent Mike Woods