Ex-convict killed murderer jail pal in drunk crash

A convicted burglar who, while driving drunk and over the speed limit, crashed his car and killed a murderer he befriended in prison has been jailed for eight years.

Stephen Bonallie, 32, was killed instantly when Stephen Cliff, 40, lost control of the Audi they were in and hit a tree near Durham on New Year's Eve in 2022, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Bonallie's family said he was just starting to rebuild his life after being released from prison, having been jailed with two others for murdering a disabled man when aged 17.

Cliff, who had become friends with Bonallie in prison, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

The two men had been out drinking in Durham before Cliff started to drive them home, the court heard.

Footage showed Cliff staggering through the city centre, with Judge Jonathan Carroll saying it was obvious the man was "profoundly drunk".

At at about 01:40 GMT, Cliff overtook a car on the A167, passed on the wrong side of a pedestrian crossing and lost control, with the Audi smashing into a tree near Sniperley roundabout.

The speed of the car had been calculated at 68mph in a 40mph zone, the court heard, with Bonallie suffering catastrophic head injuries.

Cliff, of Rose Lea in Witton Gilbert, was also badly injured and could not be interviewed for six months after the crash, eventually telling officers he would not drive while drunk and he could not remember any details of what happened.

The court heard the men became friends in prison while Cliff was serving three and a half years for conspiracy to burgle and Bonallie was part way through an 18-year sentence for murder.

Bonallie had been jailed in 2008 for murdering 23-year-old Brent Martin, a disabled man in Sunderland, over a £5 bet.

After the crash, Mr Martin's family offered their condolences to Bonallie's family.

In statements read to the court, Bonallie's mother said her son had only recently been released from prison and was "looking to start a new life and build a future".

"That's never going to happen because of Stephen Cliff's actions," she said, adding she would "never forgive or forget" what her son's killer had done.

One of Bonallie's sisters said the two men had been like brothers and, while Cliff's actions had been "dangerous and wrong", she accepted his remorse was genuine.

Bonallie's other sister said her "handsome and kind" brother had been "taken by a mindless irresponsible drink driver" who never gave his life a second thought.

"He was looking forward to his future, that was all snatched away by the person he thought was a friend."

Judge Carroll said Bonallie had a "mixed history" but was a "human being", adding: "Like all of us, there is more than just one side to him."

The judge said Cliff's driving was "highly impaired" and "dangerous", leading to the crash and its "catastrophic consequences".

Cliff's adult life had been "littered with criminal offending" and he had suffered injuries in the crash which would make his prison term harder.

He also said he accepted the remorse was genuine and Cliff would carry the death of his close friend with him for the rest of his life.

Cliff was also banned from driving for 15 years and four months and will have to pass an extended retest before getting his licence back.

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