Uninsured driver jailed for two years after crash which killed his friend
A DRIVER without a full licence lost control of his car and skidded off a wet road into a tree, killing his friend.
Nathan Monington, 26, held a provisional driving licence but was not being supervised by a qualified driver at the time of the crash. He was not insured either when he took a bend too fast.
Sentencing him at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Neil Bidder QC said he caused the death of an “innocent young man”.
His friend and passenger Thomas Cody, known as Tom, was 24 when he died.
The incident occurred on the evening of February 21 last year on the A4119 at Groesfaen as he was driving towards Llantrisant.
Clare Wilks, prosecuting, said it was dark and had been raining heavily as Monington drove his Citroen Picasso into a bend and lost control.
Police estimated he was driving at about 48mph and a safe speed would have been 30mph, given the road conditions.
Prosecutors said the car left the road and collided with trees.
Mr Cody suffered “severe injuries”. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Monington, from Windsor Place in Pontypridd, admitted causing death by driving carelessly while uninsured and without a licence.
James Evans, defending, said the pair were close friends, adding: “His remorse is very deep and very genuine.”
Mr Evans said the defendant was travelling 12mph below the speed limit.
Judge Bidder noted he was driving “substantially too fast” for the road conditions.
Monington was jailed for two years and disqualified from driving for four years from the time of his release.