An Oxfordshire man who was caught drug-driving after a fatal crash in which a pensioner was killed was also caught driving under the influence twice more in the run-up to his trial.
Now jailed for six years, Stephen Horwood, 37, was more than three times the legal limit of 10mcg cocaine per litre of blood when he crashed head-on into the car of Michael Smith and his wife Susan.
Prosecuting, Jonathan Stone told Oxford Crown Court how Horwood had fallen asleep at the wheel of his Ford Transit van as he travelled towards Witney on September 7, 2017. As a result, he veered into the path of the Smiths’ Peugeot, which was heading away from the town toward Ashton.
Mr Stone explained that Mr Smith had seen the van coming towards them when it seemed to “swerve” into the middle of the road. Veering his car into a verge to avoid it, he most likely saved his wife’s life but suffered fatal injuries himself. His wife suffered a number of serious injuries.
According to witnesses, Horwood appeared dazed and confused, repeatedly asking what had happened. Blood analysis showed him to have 35mcg cocaine per litre of blood.
Horwood was jailed on January 4 for two subsequent offences in which he was caught drug-driving with excess Benzoylecgonine, a by-product of cocaine use, in his system on November 17 and 14.
Peter Du Feu said in mitigation that Horwood had been suffering from severe sleep deprivation and over the summer had fallen into a serious drug addiction.
He said: “He had been sleep-deprived for several days before this and he must have known when getting into that van that morning he was taking a significant risk of just what happened.
“Why was he driving? He was self-employed and needed the money to keep the family going.”
Mr Du Feu also read a letter from Horwood to the court, in which he apologised to the family for his part in the tragic accident.
The Smiths’ son Andrew said after the sentencing that his family had been left broken as a result of Horwood’s actions and apparent lack of remorse.
He said: “In the days following my father’s death I tried very hard to convince myself that Mr Horwood would surely be feeling terrible guilt and remorse regarding his actions and would never place himself or others at such risk again.
“That hope was eroded when I learned that Mr Horwood continued to drive under the influence after he killed my father.
He added: “My father was a good man who tried his very best. He was killed by a man who, it seems to me, falls well short in this regard.”
“This was very upsetting to learn, as it removed the last hope I had that Mr Horwood might be feeling the shame and contrition that any decent but fallible person would.”
Ken Brough, who was representing the Smiths, said: “Mr Smith was a much-loved husband, father and friend whose passing has devastated many lives. What is so tragic is that his death was completely unnecessary and avoidable.”
On sentencing, Judge Ian Pringle QC said: “Mr Smith received multiple injuries from which he died, mercifully quickly. He was 71 years of age, he probably saved the life of his wife by turning into the verge as he did.
“Why did this accident occur? It occurred it seems because in the summer of 2017 you were introduced to cocaine and that it seems quickly became a habit.”
In addition to his 23-week sentence from January for drug-driving, Horwood was jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving, along with a concurrent sentence of four years for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He was also banned from driving for six years, ordered to pay a victim surcharge, and must take an extended retest.
