Man Jailed For Deadly Drunken Nottinghamshire Crash

10 June 2015, 18:54 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A man who was three times the drink drive limit when he caused a head on crash in Nottinghamshire has been jailed.

Simon Plowright was three-and-a-half times over the legal drink-drive limit when his Range Rover veered across the road as he drove along Nottingham Road between Gotham and Clifton on the night of 16 December last year.

He hit a Peugeot being driven in the opposite direction by 50-year-old Alastair Munt - killing him instantly.

Analysis of a blood sample taken from Plowright in hospital showed that he had 278 milligrammes of alcohol in 100ml of blood at the time of the collision. The legal limit is 80 milligrammes

Plowright, 50, of Barton Lane, Barton-in-Fabis, was charged with causing death by careless driving while under the influence of alcohol.  He admitted the charges in court.

The case was heard at Leeds Crown Court, because Mr Munt had worked as a barrister in the East Midlands and is well known to staff there.

He was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison and disqualified from driving for six years.

A Senseless Waste Of Life

After the hearing, Mr Munt's widow Helen said: "Simon Plowright's conscious and selfish decision to drink to excess on the night of December 16th 2014 and then drive was an action that resulted in him killing Alastair Munt, a beloved husband, father and great friend.

"This incident was entirely preventable and within Simon Plowright's control. His actions have devastated the lives of all of those close to Alastair. It is simply inexcusable for any driver to ignore or dismiss the danger they pose to other road users if they have been drinking.   

"The loss of Alastair is something we will never come to terms with, it has left an irreplaceable void in our lives. Alastair was a larger than life character, a kind, gentle and loving man. He was humble about his many achievements and was a man of great integrity. 

"No sentence can ever bring Alastair back or change the events of that night. We hope, however, this case will highlight once again the entirely preventable grief caused by the actions of drink drivers and the importance of the law in the fight against this senseless waste of life."