Soldier in crash that killed young father jailed

Daniel Smith, a private in the Royal Dragoon Guards, had been drinking when he agreed to give some friends a lift to another pub from the West Leeds Social Club, where he had earlier been watching a rugby match involving his regiment.

He had gone home to his son's birthday party before returning to the club with family members.

The man who later died, Karl Wilcock, was a friend of a friend whom he had met for the first time that night.

Philip Adams, prosecuting, said Mr Wilcock was one of three passengers in the rear of Smith's Ford Mondeo when he drove along Tong Road in Armley, Leeds, towards Wortley.

The speed limit was 30mph, but when Smith overtook a nurse in her Renault Clio she estimated he was travelling at over 50mph and slowed to let him pass because of her fears.

He was then faced with a small traffic island in the middle of the road ahead and steered sharp left to avoid it.

A collision investigator believed Smith then swerved right to miss the kerb, causing the rear of his car to slide, and when he over-corrected it went out of control, rotating into the path of an oncoming Ford Transit van.

Mr Adams said the driver saw the car approaching and stopped his vehicle, but the Mondeo continued across the road, with an impact on the passenger side where Mr Wilcock was sitting.

All the passengers were knocked unconscious. Stephen Sharp, who was in the front passenger seat, was the first to come round and got out to try and help the others.

Smith also got out but fled from the scene. When Mr Sharp called to him to stop, he shouted back: "I can't, I f...ed up".

Firemen had to cut Mr Wilcock from the vehicle. He never regained consciousness, and was in intensive care for several days until treatment was withdrawn. He died on March 25.

The 24-year-old had been engaged to be married, and he and his fiancee, Laura Warr, living in Bramley, had a young son together.

Another passenger, Lewis Gerry, was seriously injured, with a fractured pelvis, a collapsed lung and kidney damage, while the fourth passenger, Christopher Turner, had whiplash injuries.

Smith had gone to his grandmother's home, where he was collected by his mother. Once at her home she saw him drinking whisky and removed the bottle from him. Later, he was persuaded to go to hospital, where he was arrested.

A blood sample six and a half hours after the crash showed a blood alcohol level of 78 milligrammes, but a back calculation estimated it would have been around 130 at the time of the collision. The limit is 80.

His vehicle was also found to have a slow puncture in one tyre which had nails in the tread.

Smith, 25 of Heights Drive, Armley, Leeds, a father of three, admitted causing the death of Mr Wilcock by dangerous driving on February 28.

In addition to his jail sentence, he was banned from driving for four years.

Judge James Goss QC said nothing could comfort Mr Wilcock's family, as they had to live with his premature death, so Smith would have to live for the rest of his life with the knowledge he was responsible.

Kama Melly, for Smith, said his remorse was genuine. Having spent some time in the army when he was younger he had rejoined in 2008 and was considered a good soldier.