Stockport Woman Sentenced After Partner’s Fatal Fall from Van
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Stockport Woman Sentenced After Partner's Fatal Fall from Van
- Emma Foden, 46, was sentenced after her partner, David Rhodes, 40, died following a fall from a moving van in Kirkham, Lancashire, on October 11, 2025.
- Foden was found to be over the legal limit for cannabis, with blood readings showing 4.2 micrograms per 100 millilitres of blood, exceeding the 2mcg/100ml limit.
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A Stockport woman, Emma Foden, has received a community order after her partner, David Rhodes, tragically died falling from a van she was driving. The incident occurred on October 11, 2025, on Dowbridge in Kirkham, near Blackpool. Rhodes, 40, sustained severe head injuries and died the following day at Royal Preston Hospital.
An inquest concluded that Rhodes’ death was a misadventure, occurring after he exited the rear doors of the moving Peugeot Bipper van following a prolonged domestic argument with Foden, who was under the influence of alcohol and cannabis. While the investigation found Foden was not responsible for the accident itself, subsequent tests revealed she was over the legal limit for cannabis. Her blood sample showed 4.2 micrograms of cannabis per 100 millilitres of blood, more than double the legal limit of 2mcg/100ml.
Foden pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle while over the specified legal limit of a controlled drug. She was sentenced to a nine-month community order, which includes 10 rehabilitation days. The family of David Rhodes, described as a “doting dad” with a “heart of pure gold,” expressed their profound grief in a victim statement read in court, highlighting the trauma experienced by his seven-year-old daughter who witnessed the fall.
Drug driving in the UK carries serious penalties, including a minimum 12-month driving ban, an unlimited fine, and a criminal record. For offenses causing death, sentences can escalate significantly, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drugs.