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Apperley Bridge: Drink driver jailed for killing women
A "despicable" drink-driver with a string of previous convictions was jailed for 12 years today for killing two women as he drove a stolen car at speeds of up to 80mph.
Janet Herd, 49, and Linda Tansley, 48, were killed when their Ford Fiesta was hit by a Mercedes driven by Daniel Witter at Apperley Bridge in August this year.
Today, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said it was the worst case he had seen in 35 years as he jailed Witter at Bradford Crown Court for causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking causing death.
Witter, 23, from Town Street, Armley, who admitted the charges at a hearing earlier this year, stole the high-powered Mercedes CLK sports car and took it to a party.
He then took two 15-year-old girls, a pregnant woman and a male friend for a drive at around 9.30pm.
He was said to be more than twice the legal drink-drive limit and later told police he had been drinking since lunchtime that day.
The car was spotted by a police officer who pursued the vehicle and saw Witter drive at high speeds through a series of bends in a 40mph zone.
The court heard that Witter overtook other cars on double white lines and on bends and at one point lost control of the Mercedes.
At the time of the collision, he was on the wrong side of the road and hit the Fiesta as it pulled out of a junction.
The Mercedes eventually stopped after colliding with railings and Witter was arrested.
Mrs Herd was declared dead at the scene and Mrs Tansley was pronounced dead on her arrival at hospital.
Sentencing Witter, Judge Durham Hall described the two women as "priceless individuals" and praised the families, some of whom were in court today, for their courage.
He told him: "You are of despicable character and attitude and you put road users at critical risk and of course you took the lives of these two priceless people.
"You have sentenced the families to a life of grief. Their courage and dignity emphasises your utter worthlessness."
Judge Durham Hall asked prosecution barrister Judith Naylor to read out Witter's list of previous convictions saying: "I want the families to know what sort of creature it is that has wiped out their families."
The court heard that Witter, who had no licence or insurance, began offending at the age of 13 and had 27 convictions for 44 offences, including offences of stealing vehicles, drink-driving, driving without insurance and theft from vehicles.
"You have the most appalling record that it is, in the circumstances of the case, possible to imagine," Judge Durham-Hall said.
"You are one of the very few young men not capable of living in a civilised society."
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Saturday 19 May 2012
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