Charlene Bellis was jailed for a year (Picture: Cavendish)

A mum who mowed down a blind man and left him for dead as she raced home with a fish and chip supper has been jailed.

Charlene Bellis, 40, smashed into Christopher Hollywood as he crossed the road in Leigh, Greater Manchester, with his Golden Labrador guide dog Caesar after cutting a corner at high speed.

Mr Hollywood, 34, was catapulted into the air and suffered serious injuries from the force of the collision and landing in the road. Caesar escaped unharmed and dutifully waited beside him licking his face.

Bellis briefly pulled over and got out of her red Ford Fiesta ST to say, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry’, but just as quickly got back behind the wheel and sped off as passers-by tended to the victim on March 17 last year.

Mr Hollywood was taken to Salford Royal Hospital where it was discovered he would need surgery for factures to his vertebrae and three ribs.

In a statement, he said: ‘This whole incident left me shocked and overwhelmed.

‘She took the time to apologise to me but then drove away without calling me an ambulance. She had no idea whether I’d even survive when she left.

‘My real concern was for Caesar, I was just trying to make sure he was OK. Luckily all the hours we invested in our relationship paid off and he stayed by my side throughout the incident.

‘Fortunately, my body took the brunt of the impact and Caesar was unharmed.

‘He also continued to lick my face when I was on the floor, this was part of his training and it gave me something to focus on.’

Bellis admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving (Picture: Cavendish)

Christopher Hollywood and his guide dog Caesar outside court (Picture: Cavendish)

Mr Hollywood went on: ‘Paramedics were able to call my wife Abby but I worried for her even more as she is also blind and her vision is even poorer than mine.

‘She has been beset by nightmares since the incident happened. My parents did not sleep on the night of the incident.

‘Caesar has to be cared for by my mum and stepdad. This is not the same as looking after a pet dog. He needs lots of exercise and has to keep his skills up for when I eventually come back to him.

‘I just hope our relationship is the same as before.

‘Luckily he is back with me now, although we have had to re-home our cat at a local cattery due to our concerns about not being able to provide adequate care.

‘This incident has also had a deep psychological impact on my life. For example, when I am crossing the road I get vivid visions and flashbacks to the incident, which often leads me to take a longer indirect route home. One such incident induced a severe panic attack.’

Mr Hollywood outlined the impact the crash has had on him and his wife (Picture: Cavendish)

Bellis admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Bolton Crown Court and was jailed for a year. She was also banned from driving for three, starting when she is released.

Defending, Neil Ronan said: ‘The first thing the defendant told me today was that she wanted the victim to know how much guilt and remorse she feels for what she has done. It weighs heavily on her mind.

‘Although she initially pleaded not guilty this was partly due to her lack of keen intellect and after she eventually changed her plea.

‘The defendant self-medicates with cannabis every night, partly to deal with her complex familial situation where she is the only caregiver.’

He added: ‘She was just a single mother going out to get the family meal from the chippy with her daughter when she chose momentary recklessness.’

In sentencing, the judge Mr Recorder Mark Ford KC said: ‘This serious offence is aggravated by the fact that you sped away after hitting the victim as if you were trying to get away from something.

‘You could not have known at that moment if the victim was going to survive.

‘What makes matters worse is that the probation report tells me that you were speeding at the time of the offence in an effort to impress your daughter who was in the car with you.

‘It is clear to me the psychological effect of your offending has remained with Mr Hollywood and will do so for a long time.

‘His injuries will also make his and his wife’s lives every difficult for the foreseeable future. He now feels rightly frustrated and humiliated because of his reliance on her.’

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Charlene Bellis hit Christopher Hollywood as he crossed the road with his Golden Labrador guide dog Caesar.