Wigan horror crash driver spared jail after offering to pay £10,000 to victim

Stephen Andrews, 41, caused taxi driver Inam Ulhaq such severe injuries in the horrific head-on impact, the victim was unable to later cradle his new born child.

Andrews - who mentors BAE recruits and drives 40,000 miles a year - had been knocking back three pints of lager and lemonade plus whisky before overtaking two cars at up to 50mph and ploughing into Mr Ulhaq's VW Passat private hire vehicle.

He then drove off into the night in his VW Golf and hid out at a friend's house before contacting police 12 hours after the crash. He handed himself in four days later thereby avoiding a breath test.

Andrews, a father of two, from Standish, later admitted drinking in the run up to the crash but claimed he had driven away ''in complete panic.'' Inquiries revealed he had a previous conviction for drink driving.

Mr Ulhaq who is in his 40s had to be cut free from his vehicle by firefighters and suffered a broken back, fractured pelvis, dislocated right hip and a broken right knee and had to undergo several operations.

He told police: ''I can only walk around 10 to 15 steps before the pain is too much for me. Due to this man's reckless and dangerous driving I truly feel my life has been has ruined.

''On June 4, my wife gave birth and it should have been a happy time but it upsets me that I couldn’t hold the baby properly and carry him and cuddle him and do general playful things with him as any father could do. My injuries prevent me from my normal daily life.''

At Bolton Crown Court, Andrews whose wife is an estate agent faced up to five years jail after he admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop but he was given 16 months jail suspended for two years after Judge Graeme Smith said he posed ''no risk'' to the public.

Ordering him to pay the compensation within six months, the judge told Andrews: ''This conduct is totally out of character for you as references say you are someone who is kind, honest, popular and helpful and someone who cares about people.

''This incident was possibly contributed to by the consumption of alcohol but we will simply never know that due your decision to leave the scene. You may have been close to or over the limit.

''However you have been very honest about this and have given a frank account of what you did consume on that night. I have heard what harm was caused to Mr Ulhaq who does not feel he’s been able to bond with his child but I know you are very deeply aware of these consequences to him.

''You have expressed remorse from day one and did that to the police and sent a letter of apology to the victim.

"You do not pose a risk to the public and are at a low risk of re-offending and are highly unlikely to trouble these courts again. I think you have more than learnt your lesson.''

The accident occurred at 12.20am on December 15 last year after Andrews had been out for a meal during which he had three pints of lager top or shandy plus a whiskey and coke. The victim had just started his shift and had dropped off a passenger before disaster struck as he was driving along the A49 Preston Road in Standish.

Miss Kate Gaskell prosecuting said: ''About 300 metres in the distance Mr Ulhaq saw a car coming from the opposite direction then noticed the defendant's car overtaking it. Two sets of headlights were travelling right towards him and had no chance to avoid a collision which was almost instant.

£The force caused his vehicle to spin leaving him facing in the opposite direction and he trapped him inside the car.

''One witness estimated the overtaking speeds of 40 to 50 mph but another estimated it to be lower at 35 mph. The fact is the manoeuvre was inappropriate.

''At 3am officers attended the defendant's address but were informed by his wife that he had not been at home and had been out in his vehicle.

''He himself did not make contact with the police until shortly before midday and admitted driving the vehicle on that night and being responsible and expressed his remorse towards Mr Ulhaq and the injuries he had suffered. But the offence would have likely led to a sample of breath had the defendant been stopped at the time.''

Mr Ulhaq was tended to at the scene by a passersby before being admitted to Preston hospital for a week. His recovery has since been ''slow and painful'' and eight months on he still uses a walking stick. He will have to take codeine and paracetamol for his pain indefinitely.

Andrews was also banned from driving for two years and was ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

Defence counsel Mr Saul Brody said Andrews who suffered minor injury to his sternum, head and chest in the accident, had a written a letter of apology to the victim and added: ''It is true Mr Andrew was driving above the speed limit but he did so for a few seconds only.

''He attempted to overtake the vehicle in front without appreciating there was a second vehicle. He realised immediately there was no room to cut in between the two vehicles in that instant he found himself immediately in the path of the victim's oncoming vehicle.

''He therefore made a catastrophic error of judgement in deciding to attempt to overtake both vehicles in one manoeuvre.

"The defendant had on his own admissions consumed alcohol and had drunk three pints or just short of three pints of lager with lemonade plus a single whisky and cola in an evening spanning several hours during which he had a meal.

''It has not been proved that his consumption of alcohol was above the legal limit and he maintains he was not heavily intoxicated. It is fair to believe he might have been close to if not over the legal limit but it’s not possible to ascertain whether his judgement was impaired by alcohol.

''His conduct in the immediate aftermath is that he fled the scene and he did so in a state of complete panic as he was in a state of shock and he ran.

''He has called himself a coward and for any self-respecting person, particularly for a mature hardworking family man, this is a terrible admission to make about oneself. His behaviour remains a source of deep anguish.

''Fortunately, there were others present in the vehicle he attempted to overtake so he didn’t therefore abandon the victim to his fate. He went to a friend's house and stayed until the morning when he went home. He was in a terrible state and he did make contact with the police by email later that morning but was by then too late in some respects.

''He has wished the other driver a swift recovery and is still devastated at the harm he has caused. He has expressed his sincere apologies - his thoughts are not for himself and his own predicament but for his victim and he remains genuinely remorseful.

''He has had a successful 25-year career and is a senior quality engineer for British Aerospace. He now supervises eight senior engineers and has been chief interviewer for over eight years. He has mentored young recruits and visited local schools to provide careers advice in his own time.

''His conduct is entirely out of character and it has left him a broken man. He will never behave in this way again. He currently drives 40,000 miles per year for employment which indicates the uncharacteristic of his normal driving skills and abilities.

''Mr Andrew very much wishes to compensate Mr Ulhaq certainly before he receives the money from the insurers both for loss of earnings and the pain and suffering he has undergone.

"He is in a position to make a payment of compensation of up to £10,000 over the next six months which would undoubtedly help the victim in overcoming his present difficulties.''