An Oxfordshire man has been jailed for seven years after a drink driving accident in which he killed a 20-year old Polish man on his gap year.
The defendant had a string of driving offences to his name and had only been allowed back behind the wheel seven months before the accident.
Then 20, the man was driving well in excess of the speed limit when he lost control, colliding with his victim, 20-year-old Kacper Grzeszek, who died the following day.
Oxford Crown Court heard that the man had been drinking in Abingdon where witnesses noticed he was “drinking later, stumbling around, and ignoring social distancing measures.”
He left the pub at 9pm and was seen driving on the wrong side of the road for “100-200 metres” after overtaking other vehicles at speeds of up to 78mph.
He failed to stop after hitting Mr Grzeszek on a crossing, only coming to a halt after hitting another car. He was arrested at the scene, answering “no comment” to all questions.
Tests found him to have 90mcg alcohol per 100ml breath. The legal drink driving limit is 35mcg.
The court heard a victim impact statement from Mr Grzeszek’s mother who said that his 80-year-old grandmother in Poland had “no more tears to cry”, adding that her son’s death was “beyond” her strength and beyond her limits”. At his funeral she “not only buried a son but her heart and will to live”.
The man’s solicitor told the court that he “did not intend to take the life of another young man’, and he had written to the family to express his “deep regret for his reckless behaviour” and tell them how sorry he was.
Mr Grzeszek’s sister also paid tribute, saying: “The last months were the hardest and the most painful ones in my life.
“I have just one wish, I am begging everyone to be responsible, if not for yourselves do it for others.
“Please, never drink and drive and always be extremely careful during driving, be brave enough to stop someone drunk driving and report every single act of dangerous driving to police.”
Judge Nigel Daly said on sentencing: “I do not consider this to be an accident.
“You drank a large amount of alcohol, you got into the car and drove it at a ridiculous speed in the centre of Abingdon.
“This was an appalling piece of driving, you had no concern for anyone else, you only cared about driving as fast as you could in your modified BMW.”
The man had appeared at Oxford Magistrates twice previously: in 2018 he was caught speeding at 98mph in a 70mph zone on the A34 near Abingdon and received four penalty points. In February 2019 he was convicted of careless driving, again on the A34, when he lost control of his car and collided with a street lamp.
The defendant’s licence was only reissued seven months before the fatal crash.
After hearing a guilty plea to causing death by dangerous driving and drink driving, Judge Daly sentenced the man to 7 years in prison, of which he must serve at least half, as well as banning him from driving for a further six years and six months.
Investigating officer, PC Mark Dunne, of the Thames Valley Police Roads Policing Unit, added: “This was a horrific incident that once again highlights the dangers of drink driving and speeding.
“We work tirelessly to bring to justice those who think it is acceptable to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol and drive in excess of the speed limit.”
We Defend Drink Driving Cases
Being convicted of a drink driving offence can have dramtic consequences. There is the loss of your driving licence and all the knock on effects that can have such as loss of employment and income. If you have been charged with drink driving you need to get expert legal advice straight away.
We Are Here To Help
We are expert road traffic solicitors with a wealth of experience in successfully defending people who have been charged with drink driving and associated offences. Call us today for FREE on 0800 999 5535. It may just be the most important phone call you ever make.
If you prefer you can also contact us by email by clicking here.
Useful Drink Driving Information
You can also find useful infromation on drink driving cases and possible defences by clicking here.
