Maria Sutton reported her car stolen after hitting cyclist Graham Ruecroft and leaving him in the road

Maria Sutton told the court she wanted to apologise for all the pain and suffering she had caused by her "stupid, awful mistake" of killing Graham Ruecroft in her Kia Cee'd in June last year.

But Dr Ruecroft's brother Malcolm said it was "too little, too late" after Sutton made a bogus call to police about her car being stolen that night and then waited until April to admit the crime.

Speaking outside Oxford Crown Court after Sutton was jailed for fours years and three months yesterday, Mr Ruecroft said the sentence was a "total fallacy".

He added: "At the moment I am very disappointed.

"The level of justice for these sorts of crimes is flabbergasting – basically she is getting just over four years for manslaughter.

"As far as the law is concerned I suppose justice has been done, it's the level of sentence that I am complaining about."

The court heard how research chemist Dr Ruecroft had been cycling home along Wallingford Road, near Cholsey, at about 10pm after a meeting in London when he was struck by Sutton.

The 54-year-old was rushed to the John Radcliffe hospital, but died five days later.

Prosecutor Charles Royle said Sutton (pictured above) had been drinking with her friend from lunch time when she got into her car that evening to drive them home.

He said the mum-of-three hit Dr Ruecroft, throwing him from his bike and knocking the wing mirror off her car, causing scratches down the paintwork, before she drove off and left him by the side of the road.

The court heard how Sutton called the police an hour later and reported the car stolen, claiming she had left the keys at the pub.

The video includes a call from a member of the public reporting what they had seen, Maria Sutton's call to police reporting her car stolen and the reaction from Graham Ruecroft's family on hearing her call for the first time

During the call she added: "The car's been stolen, then there was an accident because the whole of the road's closed off and I want to know where the hell my car is."

But Judge Peter Ross said her attempt to pervert the course of justice did not stop there, because when police seized her phone Sutton deleted the text messages by logging into the handset through an iPad.

Police breathalysed Sutton the next day and found she had 20 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath, below the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

But the court heard how at the time of the crash she could have had anywhere between 46 and 104 microgrammes, and was sentenced based on the lower estimate.

Sutton admitted perverting the course of justice in December, but denied causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed limit, finally pleaded guilty to the crime in April.

Damage to Maria Sutton's car; she reported it stolen an hour after hitting Graham Ruecroft 

Lucy Tapper, defending Sutton, said her client had a history of being abused by partners and had attempted suicide both before and after the incident.
She added: "She apologises for the extra pain that must have caused by not pleading guilty at the first opportunity."

Mr Royle told the court how Sutton had maintained her lie about the car being stolen to her insurance company, until an investigator turned up at her home and heard her confess.

But Judge Ross said Sutton had shown "breathtaking audacity" by calling the insurance company up to say it had not happened and trying to reach a deal to get the cash back for her car.

He said no sentence could bring Dr Ruecroft back and added: "Nothing I can do, nothing I can say, will possibly come anywhere near to easing the pain of those who grieve for Graham Ruecroft.

"He was a remarkable man, a well-respected chemist, a man deeply loved by his family."

During the hearing, Dr Ruecroft's partner of 29 years Helen Gray read out a statement about the effect his death has had on her.

She said Dr Ruecroft was a very clever and funny man, dedicated to his work and had been a pillar of support to her when she was diagnosed with a very serious illness.

Graham Ruecroft was described as a remarkable man

Her voice breaking, she added: "Graham was my rock throughout this.
"Now I am forced by these dreadful circumstances to make precautionary plans into what will happen in need of a recurrence.

"Our lives have been turned upside down. I now face an uncertain future without him there to support me and help me deal with my fears.

"I want the person responsible to know the pain, I want justice for Graham.
"Graham meant the world to me, I love him and I miss him."

Dr Ruecroft spent 28 years working in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, and co-founded Oxford firm Prosonix, which researched and developed asthma drugs and inhalers.

He was an accomplished trumpet player and performing with Chalgrove Brass Band.

As she was sentenced, Sutton sat with her face averted from the public gallery where Mr Ruecroft's friends and family sat during the hearing.

In her letter to the court, Sutton said she was sorry for her "stupid, awful mistake and added: "If I could turn back time and make everything okay for them I would.

"Every day I relive that night, the panic, the shock, the pain and the things I should have done differently.

"I have destroyed so many lives."

Sutton, of Ottery Way, Didcot, was handed a 35-month prison sentence for causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed limit and 16 months for perverting the course of justice. She was also banned from driving for eight years.

Speaking after the hearing the family of Graham Ruecroft said:

Although Graham can never be replaced my family and I would like to think that we have gained some form of justice for a crime that has deprived us of an exceptional son, brother, partner and friend.

We would also like to express our thanks to the officers of Thames Valley Police who have supported us entirely through this ordeal and supplied comfort and reassurance throughout, in the first instance these officers painstakingly recovered all the evidence to bring forward this successful prosecution where at times their hard work appeared to be marginalised by the leniency shown by the judicial system.

I hope Maria Sutton will use her time in custody to reflect on her actions and understand that she has robbed a family of a loving and considerate individual whose life was cut short during a moment of stupidity caused by the effects of alcohol.

We will never know for sure but I firmly believe that if prompt action had occurred that night the consequences may have been less severe and we may not be mourning a professional who not only had contributed considerably to the field of chemistry but still had a lot to offer this and also the field of pharmaceutical drugs.

I have unfortunately had the sad opportunity to listen the telephone call of Maria Sutton reporting her car stolen, this can be heard on the Thames Valley Police anti-drink driving campaign and I challenge every one to listen to this and tell me if Sutton sounds remorseful for what she has done.

She is cold and callous and without feeling knowing what she had done not an hour earlier, any sentence would always have been too lenient
We are pleased that this sad episode has now come to a conclusion and we can now move forward with our lives unfortunately without Graham, but we will think of him always.