Kate Woodhead - previously jailed for making a false rape claim against her boyfriend - has been sent back to prison for killing a man in a road crash. She tried to claim she was blind to avoid justice but was caught working in a pub

A woman jailed for falsely accusing her boyfriend of rape has now been sent back to prison for killing a man in a drink-drive crash.

Kate Woodhead, 39, climbed behind the wheel of her car while drunk and careered down a 40mph road at around 75mph.

Trevor Smith, 53, who was a front seat passenger, died instantly when Woodhead lost control of the blue Audi A3 and smashed into a tree.

Woodhead was today jailed for nine years for causing death by dangerous driving.

She was previously handed a three-year term for falsely accusing a boyfriend of rape.

A court heard Woodhead tried to avoid justice over the crash, claiming she was blind, disabled and suffering from a life-threatening brain tumour. But she was not registered blind and was in fact working in a pub.

She even managed to hoodwink psychiatrists into ruling her unfit to stand trial but her subterfuge was only uncovered when she was spotted working behind a bar and a prosecution was bought.

After the case Mr Smith's four daughters branded her 'heartless' and said she had compounded their suffering by attempting to avoid justice.

Trevor Smith died instantly when Woodhead lost control of a car in which he was a passenger

Mr Smith's eldest daughter Jade Downey, 34, said of Woodhead: 'She is a heartless woman. Our dad always saw the best in people but in trusting Woodhead he made the most dreadful mistake. It cost him his life.

'She then tried to hoodwink everyone and escape justice. The depths this woman will sink to are incredible.'

Woodhead made the false rape claims in 2009 when Paul Joseph, 39, tried to end their 18-month relationship.

She claimed businessman Mr Joseph, a £200,000 a year IT consultant, raped after giving her a crisp sandwich laced with drugs.

Woodhead told the court Mr Joseph had fed her the sandwich laced with Diazapam and had become 'turned on' as he removed her horse-riding jodhpurs and had then raped her.

It later emerged she had told police officers she would only pursue the case if she was allowed to sort out their financial affairs first.

Mr Smith's daughters slammed Woodhead's attempted to evade justice after she was jailed

Woodhead denied perverting the course of justice, two counts of theft and one of fraud by abuse of position, but was convicted by a jury and jailed for three years in 2010.

After her release from prison she met Trevor Smith, an engineer, and the pair became close friends.

They met up regularly and would drink together in pubs and on May 29 last year he was in her car when Woodhead crashed near Horsham in West Sussex.

Woodhead, pictured after her arrest, has been sent back to jail with a nine-year sentence

Janice Brennan, prosecuting, said: 'She was over the drink drive limit with 105mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.' The legal limit is 35.

'She collided with a substantial-sized tree. Trevor Smith died almost instantly. It was a quick and immediate death. Miss Woodhead had neck fractures and had bleeding on the brain.'

The court heard she was discharged from hospital a month later and was later charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

Woodward had desperately tried to avoid justice, telling the court she was blind and suffering from a brain tumour.

She had suffered multiple injuries in the crash and remained in hospital for a month. However, she does not have a life-threatening brain tumour and is not registered blind, the court heard.

Janice Brennan, prosecuting at Hove Crown Court, said: 'There have been sustained attempts to avoid responsibility for causing the death and attempts by her of trying to fool this court entirely.'

She said Woodhead had managed to fool a team of psychiatrists engaged to decide on her fitness to stand trial.

She said: 'Miss Woodhead had been shown to be a persistent liar who tried to deceive this court. Her deception unravelled when, rather than being blind and unfit to stand trial, she was in fact found to be working in a public house.'

Woodhead was brought before a court in Hove after her attempts to evade justice failed

After failing to turn up in court for the third time a judge issued a warrant for her arrest and she was remanded in custody.

Judge Paul Tain said: 'This defendant sought to manipulate the proceeding to avoid the consequences.'

He said when her subterfuge was uncovered she continued trying to avoid justice by failing to turn up in court and refusing to attend court hearings.

After jailing her for nine years the judge also disqualified Woodhead from driving for 10 years.

Woodhead, pictured in 2010 when she was convicted of falsely accusing a boyfriend of rape and jailed for three years

In a statement, Mr Smith's four daughters, Jade, 34, Rachel, 24, Chloe, 29, and Sophie, 22 said their father had seen the best in Woodhead.

'Instead she is a heartless liar who has made this horrific ordeal all the worse for the family.

'The sentence will never be enough. Our dad always saw the best in people but in Woodhead it was a dreadful error.'

They said the 53-year-old engineer had an 'infectious smile' and was always helping those in need.

'He was such a laid back and gentle man. He was dedicated to his work but he also loved his time off. You'd often find him in the pub drinking a bitter, singing on the karaoke.

'Dad was the most selfless man always putting himself out to help his children and friends. '

Three of the daughters are set to marry later this year and are upset their father won't be walking them down the aisle.

'It pains us that dad's grandchildren won't be able to grow up with their grandad and he won't see them grow.'

Sergeant Clare Kenward, of Sussex Police, said after the court hearing: 'Woodhead's conduct throughout the investigation and court process has created significant delays which has been extremely distressing for Trevor's family.

'I am pleased that this matter has finally been concluded today with a significant sentence.'