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| 'All night' drink-driver jailed | 'All night' drink-driver jailed |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A driver who was swigging from a can of lager before crashing into a motorbike, killing its pillion passenger, has been jailed for seven years. | A driver who was swigging from a can of lager before crashing into a motorbike, killing its pillion passenger, has been jailed for seven years. |
| Bricklayer James Ward Douglas, 21, from Carmarthen, was "exhausted" after being up all the previous night drinking and had taken Ecstasy. | |
| Karen Boulcott died and dentist husband Mark, 46, the motorcyclist, now uses a wheelchair, Swansea Crown Court heard. | Karen Boulcott died and dentist husband Mark, 46, the motorcyclist, now uses a wheelchair, Swansea Crown Court heard. |
| Douglas was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving on the A40. | Douglas was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving on the A40. |
| The court had heard he was swigging from cans he had just bought when he turned into the path of the Boulcott's motorcycle. | The court had heard he was swigging from cans he had just bought when he turned into the path of the Boulcott's motorcycle. |
| Judge John Diehl said no sentence could compensate for the grief caused. | Judge John Diehl said no sentence could compensate for the grief caused. |
| The court had heard Douglas, of Rhyddaugeau, who told police he thought he was a moderate drinker, was drunk and exhausted when he was driving two friends. | |
| He had been to a nightclub and an all-night party in October last year. | He had been to a nightclub and an all-night party in October last year. |
| He had drunk a bottle of wine, 12 bottles of lager and four cans of cider and had taken an Ecstasy tablet. | He had drunk a bottle of wine, 12 bottles of lager and four cans of cider and had taken an Ecstasy tablet. |
| The following morning he drove to Tesco in Carmarthen to buy more drink before heading to Oakwood fun park in his Renault Clio car. | The following morning he drove to Tesco in Carmarthen to buy more drink before heading to Oakwood fun park in his Renault Clio car. |
| 'Dizziness' | |
| The park was closed so he and his passengers decided to go to Cardiff for the day when Douglas turned left on the A40 instead of right. | The park was closed so he and his passengers decided to go to Cardiff for the day when Douglas turned left on the A40 instead of right. |
| The crash happened when he tried to turn right into a road junction, intending to turn round, but did not see Mark and Karen Boulcott approaching on their Triumph motor bike, even though their headlights were on. | The crash happened when he tried to turn right into a road junction, intending to turn round, but did not see Mark and Karen Boulcott approaching on their Triumph motor bike, even though their headlights were on. |
| Mrs Boulcott, who was the assistant in her husband's dental surgery, died at the scene. Mr Boulcott suffered injuries so severe he uses a wheelchair. | Mrs Boulcott, who was the assistant in her husband's dental surgery, died at the scene. Mr Boulcott suffered injuries so severe he uses a wheelchair. |
| The prosecution at Douglas' trial claimed he would have been able to see the Pembrokeshire couple's motorcycle for at least five seconds and the only explanation for the crash was that he was drunk and exhausted. | |
| The court was told medical evidence suggested a "moderate drinker" would have suffered disorientation and dizziness with the amount of alcohol Douglas had in his body | The court was told medical evidence suggested a "moderate drinker" would have suffered disorientation and dizziness with the amount of alcohol Douglas had in his body |
| Douglas had already admitted a charge of drink-driving and is currently banned. | Douglas had already admitted a charge of drink-driving and is currently banned. |