Killer driver sniffed gas before high-speed crash

ASOLVENT sniffing driver has been jailed for killing a woman passenger in a high speed head-on crash on a country road.

Paul Snowdon inhaled butane gas from a canister as he overtook cars on blind bends at speeds of up to 90mph on the road between Torrington and Bideford.

Mother-of-two Kelly Gliddon, aged 41, was a back-seat passenger in his Vauxhall Astra and died of chest injuries after the car crashed as he was overtaking a van near Little America.

She and her partner Robert Harding got into his car in Torrington expecting a short lift to a local supermarket but instead Snowdon took off at reckless speeds towards Bideford on the A386.

He changed his route after having a confrontation with a man in Torrington who boarded a bus to Bideford. Snowdon gave chase and had just overtaken the bus when he crashed.

Kelly and Mr Harding pleaded for him to slow down but he ignored them and became increasingly reck

less in the moments before the accident.

He hit a BMW car head on, causing serious injuries to driver Christine Gardner and her 89-year-old mother who she was taking to a dental appointment. They had no chance of avoiding Snowdon’s car as he pulled out to overtake a Citroen van on a two-lane stretch of road. The force of the collision caused the Astra to hit the van, overturn, and spin off the road on its roof.

Snowdon tried to talk his way out of trouble by claiming that Mr Harding was the driver but had to admit the truth when police found his DNA on the driver’s airbag.

Mr Harding saw him sniffing butane during the five-mile journey, during which he had at least one near miss and overtook other vehicles, including the bus, by crossing double lines. An empty canister was found in the wreckage.

The crash devastated Kelly’s family and left her two sons Charlie, aged 15, and Shay nine, without a mother. Charlie wrote a victim impact statement saying they were dreading the thought of a second Christmas without her.

Kelly’s mother Diane Pratley said the family had been given a life sentence of grief and suffering.

Unemployed factory worker Snowdon, aged 38, of Whites Lane, Torrington, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for six years and eight months by Judge Peter Johnson at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: “Nothing this court can do can compensate for the loss of life and suffering and loss caused by you that afternoon. The condolences of the court go out to all those who knew and loved her.

“You were driving aggressively and overtaking in a dangerous manner. For five miles or so you kept taking chances by overtaking when it was dangerous to do so. You were described as driving up to 90mph and inhaling butane.

“You became hyper and were asked to slow down but drove with stupid and reckless disregard for the safety of your passengers and anyone else on the A386.

“As you approached a left hand bend, you overtook one more fateful time. The effect was catastrophic. You were on the wrong side of the

road and struck Mrs Gardner’s car.

“In your first interview you tried to blame Mr Harding. This was a cowardly attempt to avoid responsibility for your own actions. You caused physical, emotional and psychological loss which will last for a long time.

“This was the most serious form of causing death by dangerous driving.”

Mr Joss Ticehurst, prosecuting, said the accident happened at 2.45pm on May 9 last year. He said Snowdon had two previous drink driving convictions.

Mr Richard Crabb, defending, said Snowdon denies sniffing butane but has no memory of the day of the crash.

> Paul Snowdon was jailed for causing death by dangerous driving

> Passenger Kelly Gliddon, aged 41, died as a result of her injuries