Motorist jailed for drink driving death

A man who killed a young woman in a head-on crash while driving over the alcohol limit has been jailed for three years and four months.

Lucy Leahy, 23, was on her way home to celebrate her new job with her partner and friends when she was hit on the A509 between Bozeat and Strixton in Northamptonshire.

Daniel Ward, of London Road in Bozeat, pleaded guilty to causing death by driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit and was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court.

He had been drinking at a restaurant before the crash, police said.

Detectives said he was driving a black Ford Ranger on 24 November 2023 when he crossed the double white lines and collided with Ms Leahy's red Citroen C1.

He gave a reading of 54 micrograms per 100ml of breath in a roadside test, police said - which is more than 50% above the legal limit.

Ward admitted the charge on 19 December - the anniversary of Ms Leahy's funeral.

At his sentencing, he was also banned from driving for seven years.

During the hearing, Lucy's mother Claire addressed Ward through an impact statement: "The loss of a child is like no other pain… You took her from us all and gave all of us a life sentence, for the sake of having a drink."

Her father Daniel added: "Lucy was to receive her degree in accountancy just days after her passing.

"There was no celebration, only the bitter sting of what could have been."

Twin sister Katie said: "We dreamed of growing old together. Now, I face a lifetime without her."

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