Jailed: ‘Thoughtless’ drink-driving father who killed pedestrian
AFATHER OF FOUR who was twice the drink-drive limit when his van careered out of control and struck a couple walking hand in hand – killing one of them – has been jailed.
Pedestrian Ryan Draper, 27, died and his partner, Kim Martin, also 27, from Rhyl, suffered critical lifechanging injuries in the impact, which hurled them into a field.
Initially, van driver Emyr David Jones said at the scene on the B5122 in Caerwys, Flintshire, that he had hit a tree, his brother was coming to recover his vehicle and an ambulance was not needed.
It was only when other drivers stopped to assist that Mr Draper was found unresponsive in the field and he was declared dead at the scene.
A badly injured Ms Martin was found screaming nearby and was taken to hospital with pelvic, leg, wrist and other injuries.
Jones told police at the scene he had swerved to avoid a fox.
Jones later provided police with a prepared statement in which he denied dangerous or even careless driving and described it as “a tragic accident”.
He suggested one of the pedestrians stumbled in front of him and he could not avoid a collision, which happened at 12.45am on July 30.
The court heard the 43-yearold had just left a McDonald’s drive thru and other drivers had seen the brightly dressed couple walking and waving a torch on a mobile phone to alert them.
The defendant had not swerved or taken any avoiding action but drifted to the wrong side of the road on a bend, struck the pair, and the van hit a small tree and overturned into a field.
Judge Niclas Parry, sitting at Mold Crown Court, imposed a six-year sentence for causing Mr Draper’s death by dangerous driving and a concurrent threeyear sentence for causing Ms Martin serious injuries by dangerous driving.
Jones, of Ruthin Road in Denbigh, was disqualified from driving for nine years. He admitted both charges.
Judge Parry said the sentences were not intended to reflect the value of a life, but to reflect the defendant’s culpability within the limitations of maximum sentences and sentencing guidelines.
The judge said the incident had been caused by nothing other than Jones’ “utterly selfish and thoughtless” decision to drive despite the fact he had been drinking heavily all afternoon.
Brian Treadwell, defending, said whatever the defendant had said at the time, he accepted full responsibility, expressed genuine remorse and had said that he needed to go to prison to be punished for what he had done.