The wife of singer Rag’n’Bone Man avoided an immediate prison sentence today after crashing her Range Rover into a mother travelling with her three children.
Zoe Graham, 38, was on her way to collect her two sons when she tried to pass a tractor on what was described as a dangerous section of road in East Sussex.
However, she did not notice three vehicles ahead of the tractor and, after crossing double white lines in the middle of the road, collided with a Ford that was turning right.
The Ford’s driver, Samantha Keen, had been taking her two daughters and son to an animal rescue centre in East Sussex when the Range Rover struck the side of her car at about 55mph.
Ms Keen lost consciousness almost immediately as her vehicle was thrown across the road by the force of the August 2023 crash.
She later recalled that everything went “white then black” and said that when she regained awareness she was in extreme pain and unable to feel her legs.
Ms Keen, whose husband had died the year before, cried out for help and pleaded with two off-duty paramedics at the scene not to let her die, fearing her children would be left as orphans.
The court was told she was screaming in terror at the thought of leaving her children, who were themselves crying and screaming in shock after the collision.
She said: ‘Her eldest child asked if mummy was going where daddy was.’
Zoe Graham, 38, was rushing to pick up her two sons when she attempted to overtake a tractor on a ‘dangerous’ stretch of road in East Sussex
Graham is pictured with her singer husband Rag’n’Bone Man, aka Rory Graham, at The Music Industry Trust Awards in November 2024
Rachel Beckett, prosecuting, said Ms Keen was suffering severe pain in her right hip all the way down her leg.
She said Graham was in a rush to pick up her children when she saw a slow-moving tractor in front.
Ms Beckett said Graham pulled out to get past but did not realise there were three cars in front of it, with one turning right.
Ms Keen suffered a broken ankle, cuts to her face and head, damage to her right hip and other bruises and cuts.
Her three children suffered cuts and bruises to their faces, heads, arms and legs but were otherwise physically unharmed.
Hove Crown Court heard how the whole family had been left mentally ‘traumatised’ by the horrendous crash with her children having to undergo counselling for PTSD.
Ms Keen had to wear an ankle boot and use crutches for months and suffered concussion and post-concussion migraines for a long time, leaving her unable to properly care for her children.
In a victim impact statement, she said the smash had a huge impact on the family and still affected them nearly three years later.
Ms Keen said: ‘They [the children] thought they were going to lose their only living parent. We had to cancel our holiday, losing our deposits. I was too injured to look after the children.
‘I’ve been left with physical and mental injuries and have had to give up kickboxing and other sports.
‘My car, which is the only expensive thing I owned which I bought with the little I got after my husband died, is wrecked.’
Today, Graham, who married singer Rory Graham in 2021, was handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence.
Graham broke down in tears in court as she told how sorry she was for causing the serious crash.
Sobbing uncontrollably, she told Judge David Rennie she was late to pick up her boys and had seen the slow-moving tractor in front of her and thought it safe to overtake.
She said she had suffered nine years of domestic abuse from an ex-partner who had deliberately made her late to pick up her children in the past, which caused her anxiety about being late.
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In floods of tears, Graham said: ‘I am very sorry. Because what we, my children and I went through – nine years of domestic violence and my ex would make me late.
‘I was a little bit late to pick my boys up and they suffer from anxiety. I indicated and I hit her. I’ve never hurt anyone in my life and never would. I feel so sorry because my children went through anxiety as well.’
Supported in court by her father, she said: ‘I would never want to put anyone through this. I understand what children go through, as I am also a mother. I’m just so sorry this happened because I would never mean to cause anyone any harm.’
The crash happened on a busy road near Ringmer, East Sussex on August 9, 2023.
It was the summer holidays and Ms Keen was taking her two daughters and son to visit Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare, which cares for a huge number of abandoned animals including horses, dogs, cats, rabbits and others.
The conditions on the long straight road were good but the route undulates up and down making visibility an issue so there are double white lines in parts forbidding overtaking.
The court heard Graham, of Heathfield, was driving her Range Rover at a little more than 50mph when she saw a slow-moving tractor in front of her and indicated to overtake in contravention of the double white lines.
She said she did not realise there were three cars in front of the tractor and attempted to pass them all.
However, the front car, driven by Ms Keen, was attempting to turn right into the animal rescue centre and was struck in the side.
After the crash, Graham was arrested by police officers and interviewed about the crash.
Graham was initially charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving under her maiden name of Beardsall. She later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of causing serious injury by careless driving.
Both charges can be punished by a prison term, but the judge listened to the remorse shown by Graham before deciding to suspend the sentence for 18 months.
Judge Rennie said the double white lines in the centre of a road meant it was inherently ‘dangerous’ to overtake.
He told Graham: ‘I accept this is wholly out of character. All this was avoidable if you had driven in the way you were supposed to. I’m going to put you out of your misery, you’re not going to prison today.’
The judge said he understood she was very remorseful and accepted Graham realised the huge impact of the crash on the mother and children as she herself is a mother.
Judge Rennie said: ‘This is a horrendous case where two families have been left traumatised by events.’
He told Graham the suspended sentence meant that if she was to breach it there would be serious consequences.
He said: ‘If you breach the suspended sentence you could be sending yourself to prison.’
Graham broke down in tears in court as she told how sorry she was for causing the serious crash
Known for his baritone voice, Rory Graham, 41, aka Rag’n’Bone Man, from East Sussex first exploded on to the music scene in 2016 with his hit single Human.
His first album was released in 2017 and became the fastest-selling debut by a male artist in the UK for the decade.
At the 2017 Brit Awards, he was named British Breakthrough Act. He also received a gong for Best British Single in 2018.
Rory met Zoe in 2020, who was working in a cafe at a rugby club near his home in Heathfield.
The pair met just months after he had split from his wife Beth Rouy after just six months of marriage. Rory and Zoe married in 2021.
Rory threw himself into helping Zoe at the club, serving hot bacon baps and other food to rugby fans.
In a podcast the singer described how he wanted to help Zoe’s two teenage sons, who were heavily involved in the rugby club.
The singer was previously with Beth for ten years and they have a son, Reuben, who they now coparent.
