A DIABETIC bus driver who knocked down and killed a great-grandfather after repeatedly lying to bosses about his vision problems has been jailed for 12 months.

Stephen Thompson, 49, of Springfield Road, Grays, was driving the No.73 double decker bus from Brentwood to Tilbury on August 20, 2015, when he struck 82-year-old Derek Coleman in Civic Square, Tilbury.

Basildon Crown Court heard Thompson caused a car crash just two weeks previously on the A127 in Basildon, after failing to slow down in his Citroen when traffic ahead of him stopped.

He ploughed into three stationary cars and later admitted careless driving.

Judge John Lodge said Thompson had shown a “cavalier attitude” to the rules of the road by failing to disclose his illness to his employers or the DVLA, despite police ultimately finding it had no bearing on the crash.

Matthew Bagnall, prosecuting, said the main cause was Thompson’s failure to compensate for a blind spot caused by the window frame of the bus.

He said: “Mr Coleman was crossing the road and had stepped from the pavement at least 5.5 seconds before the collision occurred.

“He was walking with the aid of a stick he held in his right hand. His head hit the windscreen and sadly he was projected forward, coming to rest on the road some five metres further.

“The bus was travelling at about 15 mph when the collision occurred.”

Thompson pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and fraud between October 2010 and August 2015- the period of his employment with Ensign Bus Company.

The court heard Thompson was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1999 and suffered deteriorating health problems, including with his eyes and feet.

Mr Bagnall said he was prescribed medication “at various stages” but repeatedly failed to take it or attend appointments.

He also failed to tell bosses about his illness on annual self-declaration forms.

Thompson had laser eye surgery to treat an ocular occlusion in January 2015, and following the first crash on August 5 he suffered vision problems as a result of the airbag going off.

Thompson was fined and given four points on his licence following that conviction.

After the fatal crash, Thompson’s vision was labelled “substandard” by doctors at Southend Hospital.

Despite the fatality, Thompson still did not admit to bosses that he had health problems or that he was taking medication, despite filling in an accident form.

Jide Lanlehin, mitigating, said Thompson “wished he could turn back time” and apologised “wholeheartedly” to Mr Coleman’s family.

He said: “Hindsight is a wonderful thing but there is not much he can do about that event now, other than to express his regret and remorse for what took place.”

Judge John Lodge said Thompson’s undisclosed health problems were an “aggravating factor” but did not cause the death.

He said: “Mr Coleman was a totally decent gentleman. A carer, a much-loved husband, a grandfather and a friend.”

Thompson was jailed for eight months for causing death by careless driving and four months for fraud, making a total of 12 months.