Drink-driver jailed for eight years after head-on crash killed man and injured another

Jake Calow, 24, of Broad Street, Syston, Leicestershire, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court for causing the death of Patrick Shortt in July 2022.

He received an eight-year sentence for causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, causing a death whilst uninsured and aggravated vehicle taking.

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The court heard Calow had been drinking in The Bel and Dragon on Swan Street in Kingsclere for several hours and then purchasing further alcohol from a local shop before getting behind the wheel of a colleagues white Ford Transit van which he did not have permission to drive.

At around 8.10pm on Monday 11 July 2022, Calow collided head-on with a blue Volkswagen Caddy on Hockford Lane at the junction with the B3051 in Brimpton Common.

The passenger of the Volkswagen, 58-year-old Patrick Shortt from Woodley, Reading, sadly died at the scene. The driver of the Volkswagen, a 59-year-old man from Woodley, Reading, suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Calow and his only passenger, 24-year-old Oliver McGowan, of Fletcher’s Way in East Goscote, Leicestershire, were taken to hospital and Calow’s blood was tested.

The results from Calow’s blood sample gave a reading of not lower than 38mg alcohol/100ml blood. A back calculation was then completed which found his blood alcohol level at the time of the collision was approximately 129mg/100ml blood, which would have been significantly higher than the legal limit of 80mg/100ml.

McGowan was also sentenced today for one charge of aggravated vehicle taking. He was sentenced to 12 months which was suspended for two years, 250 hours of unpaid work and a curfew for three months.

Detective Constable Lyndsey Blackaby, of the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit, said: “Calow should never have been driving that evening. He had been drinking and selfishly got behind the wheel of a van anyway.

“The result of his utterly reckless actions is that a man has died, leaving his family devastated and another has been left with life changing injuries. Our thoughts remain with Patrick’s family and we hope they can start to heal now that justice has been done.”