46 year-old Paul Bennett was found to be three times over legal limit at the time of the collision
Paul Nigel Bennett of Teal Garth, Bridlington was yesterday (28 September 2021) sentenced at York Crown Court to eight years and seven months in prison after he plead guilty to causing death through careless driving when unfit through drink.
Bennett was socialising with his friend, 49 year-old Simon Maving, in Malton on the evening of 15 September 2020 when after consuming large amounts of alcohol, he made the decision to get into his Renault van and drive the pair back to his home in Bridlington.
The van left the road in the village of North Grimston shortly after 11pm and collided with a tree. Simon Maving was a passenger in the van and suffered serious injuries in the collision but instead of calling the emergency services, Bennett climbed into the back of the van and went to sleep.
The vehicle was discovered early the next morning and when emergency services arrived, Simon Maving was sadly pronounced deceased.
Bennett was treated for his injuries in hospital and a blood sample submitted for toxicology. When back calculations were carried out, it provided a reading of 268mg/100ml at the time he drove away from Simon’s home in Malton – more than three times the legal drink drive limit.
North Yorkshire Police Inspector Mick Roffe, Head of Roads Policing commented on the case:
“The consequences of Bennett’s actions cannot be underestimated. His decision to get behind the wheel of his van and drive that night resulted in the tragic loss of Simon Maving’s life, the impact of which will be felt by Simon’s family and friends forever.
“I hope Bennett’s sentence sends a strong and clear message to anyone thinking about getting behind the wheel after drinking. Doing so is a selfish and thoughtless act which carries severe and lasting consequences.”
Traffic Sergeant Adam Elliott from North Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Investigation Team said:
“Bennett’s total disregard for the safety of his friend and other road users is inexcusable but the fact that following the collision he simply went to sleep instead of calling for help is even more despicable.
“The Judge in court commented that Bennett’s driving record of several previous convictions for drink driving offences showed ‘an air of inevitability’ and that he had failed to learn from his past actions which should be a warning to other repeat offenders.
“Bennett’s sentence reflects the severity of his actions and I hope will bring some small comfort to Simon’s family.”
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