'The system is broken' - motorbike rider hit by Emsworth van driver so drunk 'he could barely stand' on A32 left incredulous by 'lenient' sentence
and live on Freeview channel 276
Scott Lemon was involved in a horror crash where a weaving Peugeot Partner veered into him on the A32 over two months ago.
The driver, Stephen Jones, avoided prison despite being almost four times over the legal drink-drive limit behind the wheel.
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Hide AdHe received a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, while also being disqualified from driving for two years and being forced to do 250 hours of community service.
Jones will also have to do a test to regain his licence.
Mr Lemon, 42, of Shirrell Heath, was left stunned by the verdict and does not think the punishment goes far enough.
He told The News: ‘The system is broken unfortunately.
‘You can catch someone bang to rights, and they can nearly kill someone, and yet, he has been let off lightly.
‘For someone that is willing to do that, it hardly affects your life.
‘It just seems lenient to me.
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Hide Ad‘I don’t think it will deter many people from drink-driving.’
Footage played in Portsmouth Crown Court, captured the Emsworth man’s wild and dangerous driving on Droxford Road, north of Wickham – showing him crashing into Mr Lemon.
Jones, 58, of Mill Road, was boozing alone in a pub that afternoon.
Prosecutor Oliver Kelham told the court Jones was ‘stumbling and could barely stand’ when police arrived.
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Hide AdMr Lemon said everyone who saw the video, posted before the trial on Twitter, said it was ridiculous.
‘I’ve had text after text from everyone I know saying how insane it was,’ the self-employed businessman said.
‘My little hope was that he was going to get punished for it.
‘This changed my life, and that sentence won’t change his.
‘A short ban from driving and a bit of community service will not make a difference to him.
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Hide Ad‘I’ll probably never walk properly again, it isn’t really much justice.’
Mr Lemon’s added his wife Kate could not believe the sentencing.
On April 30, at 4.35pm, the renewable heating systems specialist was rammed by the van, sent flying through the air and landed in a bush at the side of the road.
He has since returned home from Southampton General Hospital, where he was admitted, but still requires crutches to move around.
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Hide AdMr Lemon said he still feels in considerable pain, and even though the condition of his knee is improving, his left shoulder and hip are ‘still in agony’.
‘I’m still not really on the mend at the moment, I’m moving more, but I don’t feel great still,’ he added.
The crash has also had an emotional impact on him, as he still struggles to play with his young children, Logan and Madison.
His work has also become more challenging, as he can no longer do everything himself and move from one job to the next.
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Hide AdMr Lemon still can’t drive due to his injuries, and his damaged shoulder means he still can’t carry things.
‘I’ve lost my independence, and I have to ask everyone for help all the time,’ he added.
‘That is not usually my style.
‘I feel like I’ve been robbed.’