Drink-driver crashed car and left his two friends for dead

A DRINK-DRIVER who crashed his car at high speed while “showing off” ran away, leaving his two friends for dead.

Robert Andrew Griffiths, pictured, was travelling at 70mph in a 30mph zone despite his pals’ desperate pleas to slow down, when his Vauxhall Corsa smashed into a lamppost and hit a wall.

The 26-year-old fled the scene leaving Nathan Jones and Jordan Parker seriously injured.

Mold Crown Court heard he was twice the drink-drive limit and had no insurance when the incident happened on December 16 last year.

Griffiths, of Queensway, Caia Park, Wrexham, initially pleaded not guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving but changed his plea weeks before his trial.

He also admitted driving with excess alcohol and having no insurance.

Paulinus Barnes, prosecuting, said Griffiths had been to the pub that day and that his two friends were under the impression he was drinking shandy or nonalcoholic drinks because he’d told them he was working the next morning.

He offered to take them home, but when they got into the car he started “driving erratically” and “showing off” along Rhosddu Road towards Llay.

The friends said they begged him to slow down before the car hit a lamppost, spun around, then hit a wall on New Road.

Mr Jones said he was knocked unconscious, and when he came to Griffiths was “nowhere to be seen”.

Mr Jones suffered injuries to his face that needed stitches, as well as a bruised lung and an inflamed kidney.

Mr Parker only remembers a “loud bang” and shattering of glass and was transferred to Stoke to be treated for a broken leg, ribs and a fractured sternum.

When police arrested Griffiths nearby, he was found to have blood on his face. CCTV showed him entering the car in the town centre and his DNA was recovered. The court heard he had 14 previous convictions for 21 criminal offences.

Andrew Green, defending, said Griffiths “expressed remorse”.

But Judge Niclas Parry told Griffiths his actions were “callous and selfish.”

He said: “You could have killed three people, including yourself”

Griffiths was sentenced to 27 months in jail and was disqualified from driving for three years. He was also ordered to retake his driving test on his release from prison.