A van driver who had taken cocaine before causing the death of a fellow-motorist on the A50 in Uttoxeter is facing nearly seven years behind bars.
Mark Fenton was today (Thursday, June 7) sentenced to six years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to drug driving and causing death by dangerous driving.
The 49-year-old admitted his actions resulted in the death of David Rowlatt, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, on August 31 last year, near the JCB World Parts Centre.
Stoke on Trent Crown Court heard he had snorted four lines of cocaine at 12.45am that morning.
Driving an Iveco Daily van on the westbound carriageway, Fenton clipped the rear offside corner of the Mercedes Sprinter being driven by the 62-year-old victim, causing it to flip over.
Fenton - of Loring Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire - clipped the van while moving back into the inside lane after overtaking a lorry.
The collision caused Mr Rowlatt’s vehicle to leave the carriageway and onto the nearside verge, where it overturned.
Onlookers called the emergency services, but Mr Rowlatt died at the scene from his injuries.
The police subjected Fenton to a roadside drug test, which gave a positive result for cocaine.
He was arrested and later pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving a vehicle while unfit through drugs.
Stefan Weidmann, mitigating for Fenton, told the court that the defendant thought about the crash as the "last thing before he goes to bed and the first thing in the morning".
He added: "He understands the pain this will have caused his family is dwarfed by that of the Rowlatt family."
A statement from Mr Rowlatt's daughter, Jo Hill, was read out in court.
She said: "Having to tell my five-year-old son that he will never see his granddad again will never leave me. The devastation the other driver caused is beyond words. We lost a huge part of my mum that day."
Georgina Davies, of the Crown Prosecution Service, which brought the case against Fenton, said: "Taking drugs or alcohol and then driving puts not only yourself in danger but other road users too. Our advice is to never drug or drink drive.
"This prosecution highlights those dangers because in this case Mark Fenton’s decision to drive after taking cocaine had the gravest of consequences when his collision with Mr Rowlatt’s vehicle caused his death.
"Although there is little we can say that will adequately reflect their loss, our thoughts are today with the family and friends of Mr Rowlatt."
PC Martin Colclough, from Staffordshire Police's Collision Investigation Unit, said: "This is a clear example of the tragic consequences of driving whilst under the influence of drugs. I hope this sends a message that driving whilst on drugs can result in a long custodial sentence.
"Whilst no sentence can ever undo the pain and suffering caused to the family of Mr Rowlatt after their loss, I can only hope that the conclusion of this case helps the family in coming to terms with what happened. Our thoughts are of course with his family at this time."
