A drink-driver has been jailed for causing the death of a Whitchurch pensioner.
Thomas Stewart, of Azalea Court, Andover, was sentenced to six years behind bars after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving at Winchester Crown Court on Friday.
The 40-year-old was twice over the limit when he collided head-on with a car driven by 80-year-old Whitchurch man, Ronald Birch.
Uninsured Stewart was driving a Vauxhall Vectra without a full licence when he smashed into Mr Birch’s BMW, at 2pm on the B3400 by Andover Down, on March 5 last year.
According to police, the drink-fuelled driver was heading to Andover when he swerved onto the wrong side of the road to avoid a slower moving Mercedes in front.
Mr Birch, who was returning from a day’s shopping in Andover, suffered horrific head and chest injuries and died seven days later at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
His partner, an 82-year-old woman, and Stewart’s passenger, a 49-year-old man, suffered serious injuries in the collision.
At the court, Judge Cutler banned Stewart from getting behind the wheel for 10 years.
Police sergeant Rob Heard, from the county’s road death investigation team, welcomed the sentence..
“This was a tragic incident which has forever changed the lives of those affected,” he said. “Stewart should never have been on the road that day. He showed a complete disregard for the law and everyone around him.
“Our thoughts go out to those involved, particularly the family of Ronald Birch who were very relieved that Stewart pleaded guilty to the offences. They have been suffering for the last 10 months since the collision, their lives having been turned upside down.”
According to police, Stewart had spent the morning drinking before borrowing a pal's car. His friend believed he had insurance and a licence.
Blood tests after the accident showed Stewart had 169mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, more than twice the legal limit of 80mg.
Sgt Heard said that Stewart’s case was a stark warning of the dangers of illegal drivers.
Across the country, four per cent of motorists have no insurance and during Operation Holly, Hampshire Constabulary’s Christmas crack-down on drink driving, police charged 145 people for driving over the limit.
Sgt Heard said: “Stewart’s sentence is a warning to anyone else thinking of drink-driving, or driving without insurance or a licence to think about the consequences and think again.”
