Drink-driver who drove into mum spared prison
A DRIVER under the influence of alcohol and cocaine badly injured a mother after hitting her as she was moving her child from a car seat.
Luke Thomas, 33, drove into Christie Norman as he attempted a dangerous manoeuvre in Pontypool on September 6 last year.
He took a corner of Station Road, a residential street, at speed in wet conditions which caused him to swing out onto the wrong side of the road and strike the kerb.
As a result of this, Thomas attempted to steer left, which sent his BMW 120D in an anti-clockwise spin across the road and struck Mrs Norman, who was knocked unconscious to the floor.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard Mrs Norman had attended a baby shower with her pregnant sister, her two children and her mother, who were all present in the car when the collision took place.
The victim was standing outside the car and was in the process of moving her son from his car seat when she was struck by Thomas’ vehicle.
As a result of the collision, Mrs Norman suffered a serious injury to her left knee, as well as injuries to her left foot, left shoulder, a hematoma and a head injury which left a golfball sized lump to the top of her skull. Mrs Norman was unable to attend work for a long period but has since returned in a limited capacity.
Following his arrest, Thomas said he had been drinking and taking cocaine the night before the collision but he was still under the influence at the time of the collision.
He was found to have 51mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath (the legal limit being 35mg) and 10ug/l of cocaine in his blood. He was also found with 50ug/l of benzoylecgonine, a by-product of cocaine.
Thomas, of Osborne Road, Pontypool, later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
In mitigation, defence barrister Kevin Seal said his client understood the damage he had caused to his victim and her family.
He added that the father-of-one felt a “massive sense of guilt” and had issues with depression and emotional stability.
Sentencing, Recorder Mark Cotter QC said: “This offence passess the custody threshold but I am persuaded there is a prospect of rehabilitation and the appropriate punishment can be dealt with by a suspended sentence.”
Thomas was sentenced to one year and 10 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
He was also ordered to carry out a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement, 200 hours of unpaid work and to pay court costs of £800.