A drink driver high on drugs who killed a young Southampton mum in a head-on crash lied to police after being caught stumbling across the road, a court heard.
Moments after causing the crash that killed 18-year-old Mia Wort, Craig Procter, 38, told officers the driver of the Audi A3 being driven on the wrong side of the road had run into the woods.
He later admitted he had been driving.
Mia was a passenger in her boyfriend's Ford Focus and suffered "unsurvivable" injuries.
She was rushed to hospital where she later died.
Her boyfriend Samuel Hotston tried to free her from the car before emergency services arrived but a judge said there was "nothing he could do" before and after the accident.
READ MORE: Drink driver who killed young mother is jailed
Prosecuting, Charles Gabb told Southampton Crown Court that the day before the crash Procter spent several hours drinking in two separate pubs. He had also taken cocaine.
He went home to his mother's house at around 11pm where they argued about his drinking.
Two hours later, he stole her car and drove off to meet a friend before causing the crash on the A27 Kanes Hill.
Speaking at his sentencing, Mr Gabb said Procter had moved onto the wrong side of the road.
He added that he had been going at about 68mph in a 40mph zone and was twice over the drink-drive limit.
Despite initially denying responsibility, Procter later pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking.
Mitigating, Audrey Archer said her client accepts what he has done adding: "This defendant knows what the root cause of his offending is.
"He is motivated to get help to ensure that those factors subside in terms of their relevance in his life."
READ MORE: Man admits causing death of Southampton mother in crash
Judge, Christopher Parker, said there was "nothing (Mia's boyfriend) could do before the accident and nothing he could do after the accident".
He added that Procter had been driving whilst disqualified and with no insurance, breaching a previous suspended order that had been put in place for an offence of dangerous driving.
DC Mark Furse, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "A family has been devastated because of one man's complete disregard for the laws of the road.
"Procter should not have been driving full stop, let alone while drunk and high on drugs in a stolen car.
"Drivers like Procter deserve to be behind bars.
"Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Mia."
Procter, of The Acorns in Bursledon, was jailed for eight years and six months.
He was also disqualified from driving for five years with a four-year and three-month extension to take into account the time he will serve in custody.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel