Drug driver left teen biker with life-changing injuries

COURT HEARS OF BOY’S ‘PAIN AND SUFFERING’ AFTER CRASH BUT MUM SPARED JAIL FOR HER CHILD’S SAKE

ADRUG-DRIVING mother who swerved into oncoming traffic and crashed into a teenage biker caused him “lifechanging injuries”.

Leah Chelsea Thomas cried in the dock as the 16-year-old’s “catastrophic injuries” were outlined to the judge at Caernarfon Crown Court.

Thomas, 25, who is seven months pregnant with her second child, admitted causing serious injury by driving dangerously and under the influence of cannabis.

The guilty plea came a month before a trial was due to be held in January this year. She denied driving

Judge Nicola Jones said the incident had caused “horror, pain and suffering” on the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and his family.

However, she accepted Thomas, of Maude Street in Rhyl had shown “genuine remorse”.

Sentencing Thomas to 20 months, the judge suspended the sentence for 24 months.

In addition, the defendant was banned from driving for three years and must sit an extended retest before she can drive again.

Prosecutor Oliver King said on October 27, 2019, initially dangerously.

Thomas, who had been smoking cannabis and was over the legal drug drive limit, was travelling on the A5025 in Cemaes Bay, Anglesey, when her KIA swerved into an oncoming lane.

The court heard she had pulled on the handbrake after claiming to have seen an animal run into the road and collided with the front of the teenager’s moped.

Tests later carried out by police revealed she had 2.2 micrograms of cannabis per litre of blood – the legal limit being two.

The court heard the teen had no recollection of the crash and was flown to hospital by a Coastguard helicopter to a trauma unit, where stayed for over a week.

His injuries included a shattered kneecap, a broken leg, nose and jaw, both lungs were bruised and he suffered other facial injuries.

He underwent 10 hours of surgery and will need further operations in future.

In a victim impact statement from the teen’s dad, the court heard how before the accident, his son was “a normal teenager, sociable, friendly and a kind thoughtful person.”

He said his son is now “depressed” because he is unable to play football, is anxious when in a car and has nightmares about he what happened quite regularly.

“We as a family went through an ordeal no family should go through,” he said.

“Seeing him unresponsive, broken and bleeding on the roadside, we’re thankful we still have him.”

Addressing the defendant, Judge Jones said: “You shouldn’t be driving a vehicle when you have taken cannabis.

“It’s clearly impaired your judgement and your driving, as had the behaviour of your passenger that night.

“This was a life-changing injury for him.”

She added: “One can only imagine the horror he and his parents have gone through.”

Defence barrister Simon Killeen said his client’s remorse was “very genuine indeed” and asked the judge to consider suspending the sentence.

Mr Killeen said Thomas was a “hard working single parent” to a threeyear-old child with “severe difficulties” and was due to give birth again in eight weeks.

Judge Jones said Thomas’ mitigation did not minimise the “horror, pain and suffering” the victim’s family had been through, but said she had to take into account her child’s difficulties, and balance that against the suffering of the teenager.