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 number 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.

Judge John Lodge said Thompson had shown a “cavalier attitude” to the rules of the road by failing to disclose his eyesight problems 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.

Thompson pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and fraud between October 2010 and August 2015.

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 health problems on annual self-declaration forms.

Judge John Lodge said Thompson’s undisclosed health problems were an “aggravating factor”.

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.