Sponsored by
Hit-run death driver jailed for nine years
A SERIAL drink driver who hit a pensioner with his van, then looked at him as he lay dying before driving off, has been locked up for nine years.
Roland Naylor, aged 49, who killed 90-year-old Ernest Percival as he drove to work the morning after a "skinful", had four previous convictions for drink driving, Sheffield Crown Court heard.
The public gallery erupted with howls of protest – led by his wife and two daughters – as Judge Roger Keen QC imposed the jail term following a three-day trial.
A jury took just three hours to find Naylor guilty of causing death by careless driving while unfit through alcohol.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to failing to stop and failing to report the accident, on Richmond Road, Manor, on December 19 2007. He was sentenced to four months for each offence to run concurrently with his nine-year term.
He was also banned from driving for five years.
Judge Keen told him: "You callously and heartlessly looked at your victim as he was dying in the street, and went on your way without calling for any assistance.
"You did that because you knew you were still seriously affected by alcohol. Your only interest was self preservation. Only when you thought you were clear did you surrender to police.
"You were late for work and in a hurry and you were concentrating on the junction and not on pedestrians. You completely failed to see him.
"I accept you are full of remorse, but it's a shame you didn't demonstrate it by pleading guilty."
Naylor's previous drink drive convictions were aggravating factors in sentencing, he added.
During the trial the jury heard that the night before the accident, Naylor – who also has previous convictions for theft, affray and assault – drove from The Turf Tavern in Handsworth to the neighbouring Old Crown pub and then home.
He claimed to have drunk only two pints and a double whisky in each.
But prosecutor Fiona Swain said he must have had a "skin full" because 'back calculations' of his alcohol level – carried out after he finally handed himself in eight hours later – showed he was twice the drink drive limit at the time of the collision.
What do you think? Add your comment below.
BUY ONLINE: Buy The Star - Monday to Saturday - for local news, sport, features and ads. Sign up on line by clicking here.
READ MORE
Main news index
Your letters
Features
South Yorkshire's environmental news
Kids Zone
More business news
More Rotherham news
More Doncaster news
More Barnsley news
Latest sport
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Fog
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
