A man has been jailed for driving "like a maniac" after overtaking cars at speed while under the influence of cocaine moments before he was involved in a crash that killed a motorcyclist.
David Pugh was found not guilty of causing the death by dangerous driving of Shropshire biker Stephen Craig Elsdon, who died after a crash with the BMW Pugh was driving near the Riverside Cafe at Dolwen on August 6, 2022.
But the 32-year-old, from Llanidloes, will spend time behind bars during the next 12 months after he was convicted of dangerous driving along the A470 between Caersws and Dolwen, which the judge described as "extremely reckless and aggressive" and "grossly irresponsible".
Judge Rhys Rowlands told the plumbing business owner, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, that custody was appropriate because "you have learnt nothing" from a string of prior motoring offences.
His most recent was a 12-month disqualification for drug driving in May 2019.
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A number of letters written by friends and family described Pugh as a "very kind, caring and helpful" person which the judge said showed a "very different side" to his character.
But his antecedent history "rather dilutes" what was written and the offence, which included "highly dangerous manoeuvres", was far too serious for anything but an immediate 12-month prison sentence, the judge said.
Mold Crown Court heard on Wednesday, January 10, that several eyewitnesses along a 4.5-mile stretch between the railway crossing near Caersws and the Riverside Cafe in Dolwen recalled Pugh, who was driving a courtesy car loaned to his mother and which he was not insured to drive, was doing so "erratically".
They reported him overtaking several vehicles, crossing double white lines, pushing in front of cars and narrowly avoiding collisions, and driving at excessive speeds while ignoring the flashing lights from other motorists and motorcyclists.
Shortly after passing the Riverside Cafe, Pugh stopped in time to avoid a van which was turning into another road, but 46-year-old Mr Elston was killed after hitting the back of the BMW.
The jury found Pugh not guilty of causing the biker's death.
Judge Rowlands said: "There is plainly a gap in evidence for the final half mile. You managed to stop the car, but Mr Elston didn’t and there was doubt whether your dangerous driving caused Mr Elston's death. That was the conclusion, and the court has to be faithful to that verdict.
"I take the view that your driving can be described as grossly irresponsible; risks were deliberately taken by you with ignoring other motorists and given no thought to them. That begs the question as to why you drove that way.
"Another motorist overtaken by you was shocked by your driving which she described as erratic. She saw you [after the collision] and confronted you telling you had driven like a maniac.
"You were repeatedly asserting that it was not your fault. She was of the opinion that seeing you at the time drinking a lot of water appeared to her that you were under the influence of drugs; five hours before samples were taken from you.
"You would have known the risks and consequences of such behaviour."
Pugh, of Victoria Avenue, Llanidloes, was given a 42-month disqualification and also given a four-month concurrent sentence for driving with at least 10 times the legal limit of cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine in his blood system.
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