An 80-year-old driver who killed a grandmother when his foot slipped on the accelerator was seen laughing outside court after being handed only a £500 fine and a two-year driving ban. Thomas Gidman hit his neighbour Irene Wills, 75, in his Ford Focus, crushing her against a wall. The grandmother of three had to have her leg amputated and died in agony in hospital six days later, leaving her husband of 52 years bereft. Yesterday Joe Wills, 77, told of his anger and astonishment that Gidman had escaped ‘scot-free’ with only a ‘slap on the wrist’ over his wife’s death last September. Wheelchair-bound Thomas Gidman, 80, from Stoke-on-Trent, (pictured above with friends outside court) was sitting in his stationary car when  his foot slipped on the accelerator and the vehicle crashed into Irene Wills . 'A two-year driving ban and a £500 fine for taking my wife's life is ludicrous,' he said. ‘I’m not an awful person but if you lose your wife you expect more than this. 'Everybody thought it was going to be in the crown court but he has been given a slap on the wrists. Mr Wills, from Norton, Stoke-on-Trent, did not attend court earlier this week after being told by police that the matter was likely to be transferred to the Crown Court. However, Gidman pleaded guilty to causing Mrs Wills’s death through careless driving at his first appearance at North Staffordshire Justice Centre, and was immediately sentenced by magistrates. 'I was waiting for the case to be sent off to crown court - I thought it was impossible when I heard he had been sentenced on Tuesday,' said Mr Wills. 'The charge should have have been much more serious - it is shocking. ‘I actually thought they were kidding me. He has got away scot-free for killing my wife. ‘We had the best life together and it was cruelly snatched away like this and all he gets is a slap on the wrist, and has the cheek to laugh about it. I am still distraught and really very angry that justice has not been served. I will love Irene until the day I die. I just cannot believe that a life can be that cheap.’ Irene Wills (pictured above with her husband Joe), died aged 75, after being pinned against a wall by Gidman's car after his foot slipped on the accelerator. She had a leg amputated but died from her injuries . Chairman of the bench Howard Ball told Gidman: ‘We feel no amount of fines or other community activity is going to change this very, very sad situation.’ Outside court, wheelchair-bound Gidman was seen laughing with friends. Magistrates heard Gidman was waiting for his daughter in his car in a doctor’s surgery car park when his foot slipped on to the accelerator. The car leapt forward in a 90-degree arc, propelled by ‘high-level harsh acceleration’, crossed a road, then hit Mrs Wills, a retired kitchen assistant, as she walked just yards from her home. The court heard how witnesses reported a 'high-level harsh acceleration' of a car before it crashed into Mrs Wills. She was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire where medics were forced to amputate one of her legs but she died six days later. At the court hearing yesterday, prosecutor Andrew Bodger said: 'Mr Gidman had been to the surgery close to the scene of the accident. He got in the car, which was an automatic, while his daughter went to a chemist's shop nearby to fetch a prescription. 'The Ford Focus with the defendant at the wheel shot forward out of the car park in a 90 degree arc and ended up hitting Mrs Wills who was walking along Knypersley Road. Gidman (pictured outside court) admitted causing death by driving without due care and attention and was handed a two-year driving ban and fined £500 . 'She suffered very severe injuries and had to have part of her leg, above the knee, amputated. 'Right from the outset the defendant said his foot had slipped from the brake pedal on to the accelerator.' Mr Wills, a retired National Union of Mineworkers regional president, met his wife when they were teenagers. They married in 1962, aged 21 and 23, and had one child, Valerie, three years later. Their daughter, who lives in San Francisco with her family, said Mrs Wills had only stepped out for a ‘breath of fresh air’ when she was struck by the car. Police investigators found Gidman’s vehicle had no mechanical defects. Simon Dykes, defending, said Gidman suffered a ‘momentary lapse in concentration with tragic circumstances’. He added: ‘Mr Gidman knew the lady involved in the collision which makes it more difficult for him. He has been absolutely devastated by what has occurred.’ The court heard Gidman handed in his driving licence the day after the collision. He was not using a wheelchair at the time. All driving licences expire when the holder turns 70. To continue driving, motorists need to renew their licences before they turn 70, then every three years after that. But there is no requirement for them to re-take their driving test or have their licence reviewed because of their age. Sarah-Jane Martin, of road safety charity Brake, said: ‘Statistically, older drivers are less likely to be involved in a crash as they are more experienced and tend to take fewer risks. ‘However ... Brake believes fitness to drive regulations need to be strengthened to prevent needless tragedies, particularly through the introduction of compulsory sight checks. ‘When someone admits causing death by their own careless driving, it should warrant a penalty that properly reflects the severity of the crime and its impact on others. ‘Anything less is likely to serve as an insult to bereaved families, and does little to encourage people to take greater care behind the wheel and prevent future tragedies.’ Joe Wills, 77, of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, said he had lost 'the best wife in the world' and expressed disappointment at Gidman's punishment. He said: 'A ban and a £500 fine for taking my wife's life is ludicrous' As well as being banned from the road for two years and fined £500, wheelchair-bound Gidman was also told to pay £85 costs at the hearing. Irene's daughter Valerie, who has three children, said: 'I'm heartbroken. My mum was my best friend. 'Even though I live in California we would speak every day.I'm really going to miss her. When she went outside - it was just to get some fresh air. 'My mum was a kind, caring and incredibly loving. Her grandchildren love her to bits and call her Grammy. 'She loved my dad. They were inseparable. They were best buddies and it breaks my heart because now my dad's on his own.'
Thomas Gidman sitting in stationary car when foot slipped on accelerator . 80-year-old's car lurched forward and crashed into grandmother Irene Wills . She was pinned against wall and needed leg amputation but died days later . Gidman admitted causing death by driving without due care and attention . He was given two-year driving ban, fined £500 and ordered to pay £85 costs . Joe Wills, 77, said he had lost 'the best wife in the world, his best friend, lover and companion' and described Gidman's punishment as 'ludicrous'