Prison sentence for drink-driver killer (From Gazette Series)

Prison sentence for drink-driver killer

A YOUNG soldier from Dursley, whose drink driving killed his oldest friend - a well-known local disc jockey known as DJ Perv - has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.

Ian Pitts, 22, of Union Street, pleaded guilty earlier this year to causing the death of his passenger Kristian Johansen by dangerous driving on the B4066 Uley-Dursley road on July 30 last year.

He was back in the dock of Gloucester Crown Court last Friday to be sentenced.

Pitts, who is still a member of the Royal Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Berkshire Regiment, suffered permanent injuries in the crash. He is now facing a dishonourable discharge from the forces.

He had served in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Northern Ireland and had been at home for only two weeks after a tour of duty in Kosovo when the fatal crash occurred.

Giles Nelson, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Johansen, 25, of Upper Poole Road, Dursley, was the front-seat passenger the VW Golf which careered off a bend and hit a tree. He was killed instantly and Pitts was taken to Bristol's Frenchay Hospital with serious injuries.

"The defendant has suffered total amnesia as far as these events are concerned," Mr Nelson said.

Ian Pitts and Kristian Johansen had spent most of the day in each other's company and had been drinking in the Kingshill Inn and the King's Head in Dursley. They had given Mr Pitts' cousin Lee a lift to his home in nearby Uley before heading back in the direction of Dursley.

Pitts, who had held a full driving licence for a year, was driving at 63mph as he entered the stretch of road, which has 30mph limit.

"He attempted to negotiate a right-hand bend which had a maximum safe speed of 56 miles per hour," Mr Nelson said. "The result was inevitable. He couldn't perform the manoeuvre, resulting in the loss of control of the vehicle."

Mr Nelson said that Pitts was driving while one-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit. He had a clean driving record and no previous criminal convictions.

Jonathan Challinor, defending, said: "Ian Pitts has known for many months that he will be going to prison for causing the death of his friend Kristian Johansen.

"The defendant is a young man who had a good career, a supportive family and who would never ordinarily break the law. Nothing I say can compare to the profound sense of grief that Mr Johansen's family continue to feel."

He said that Pitts accepted the full extent of the blame and wished he could turn the clock back.

Sentencing Pitts, Recorder Michael de Navarro said that the sentence would have been one of six years had Pitts not pleaded guilty.

Pitts was also banned from driving for five years, after which time he will have to take an extended re-test if he wishes to drive again.