National Express gave coach job to drink-drive killer
A SERIAL drink- driver who killed a woman by crashing into a lorry was given a job driving a National Express coach.
Peter Crowther, 45, was allowed behind the wheel despite causing the death of his friend Emma Ord.
The 19-year- old recruitment worker was in his Mitsubishi Galant when he ignored a give-way sign and drove into the path of a truck.
Crowther, who was nearly twice the drink-drive limit at the time, admitted causing death by careless driving and was given a five-year jail term. But he was not obliged to declare his 2005 con- viction and eight-year ban when he was taken on in 2015 by National Express sub- contractor Chalfont Coaches. Crowther was switched to an office role when his criminal past came to light.
Emma’s sister, Kirsty Constable, 32, told The Sun: ‘ He was caught, four months after he killed Emma, drunk in a car. He did not care at all.
‘It is disgusting he has been driving for a coach company.’
Crowther was first caught drink-driving in 1997 and banned for three years. He was also stopped driving while disqualified in 1999 and failed to provide a specimen.
Following the fatal crash at Spratton, Northamptonshire, in 2004, he was found to have 157mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.
Four months later he was caught driving at more than twice the drink-drive limit in a Mercedes.
David Bright, the judge in the case, accused Crowther of displaying a ‘breathtaking contempt for the law’ as he jailed him.
He said: ‘You appear to be a man with a drink problem and moreover, looking at your record, a man who cannot or will not learn from experience.’
Miss Ord’s father, Jeff, complained about the leniency of the sentence after that hearing. He said: ‘I am grateful he got five years but ten to 15 years would have given us some solace. At least it gives him time to reflect and, while he’s doing five years, people are safe for that period of time.’
The DVLA keeps records of drink-driving for 11 years after an offence. Custodial sentences of up to 48 months are considered spent after seven years, meaning they do not have to be declared when applying for jobs and positions of responsibility. Longer jail terms are never classed as spent.
It was not clear yesterday if Crowther was asked whether he had any criminal convictions when he applied for the driving job more than two years ago.
Chalfont Coaches said all media enquiries were being handled by National Express.
But director Vera Stevens has said: ‘He did not lie to get the job. National Express have only started doing disclosure and barring service checks recently.’
Crowther had been moved to an office role, she added.
National Express refused to say whether drivers were routinely asked about convictions before it introduced records checks in 2016.
A spokesman said: ‘The driver has been permanently removed from the National Express network.’
Crowther, of Grendon, Northamptonshire, said he was very sorry about Emma’s death.
‘I have been honest and open about it,’ he added.
‘Breathtaking contempt’