Van driver Paul Watson, 39, caused the death of Terrance Keye in Normanton, after crashing into him while driving at nearly twice the legal speed limit, and over the limit for alcohol and cocaine.

Leeds Crown Court heard that the 53-year-old victim, known as Terry, was a machine operative at One Stop Warehouse in Normanton. At 10pm on February 10 this year, he finished his shift and cycled towards his home.

He was wearing a fluorescent high-visibility jacket and keeping tightly to the left hand side of the road, with front and rear lights on. His mother said he was a “good, experienced” cyclist who always took care of his bike.

At around 10.30pm, on Wakefield Road, he was struck by Watson’s Ford Transit van being driven at an estimated speed of 55mph, in a 30mph zone. After colliding with the bike, the van hit a lamppost and spun around the carriageway, before coming to a stop.

After hearing “loud bangs”, members of the public rushed over to help and the emergency services were called. Despite the efforts of paramedics, Mr Keye was pronounced dead shortly before 11pm.

Watson was initially unconscious after the crash and members of the public pulled him out of the van, noticing a strong smell of alcohol. When he came round, he was interviewed by police and admitted he had been drinking.

He was found to have nearly twice the legal limit for alcohol in his system, as well as double the legal limit for cocaine. When he was later interviewed by police, he said he had no recollection of the crash or drinking alcohol and taking drugs.

During Watson’s sentencing hearing today, the court heard a victim impact statement from Mr Keye’s mother. She recalled the moment police officers arrived at her door to inform her that her only son had died.

“That was when my life stopped”, she said. “I will never hear his key in the door again and hear him say, ‘mother it's only me’. No one will ever know the devastation and grief I am feeling every minute, every hour of every day and night.”

She added that she was no longer living, only surviving, until the day she could be reunited with her son. Mr Keye was the sole carer for his long-term partner, who suffers with loss of memory and progressive dementia, and she has now had to be moved to a care home.

Watson, of Church Lane, Normanton, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at the earliest opportunity before the courts. He also admitted driving while over the prescribed limit for alcohol and driving while over the prescribed limit for cocaine.

Father-of-two Watson, who was working as a gas engineer, has no previous convictions. The court heard that he struggled with mental health issues and alcohol and drug abuse, and had overdosed the night before the crash. At the scene of the crash, he told a police officer he had intended to die, and a note to his family was found in his home.

In mitigation, Watson’s defence barrister acknowledged the “tragic and immeasurable loss” Terry’s family had suffered due to Watson’s actions, adding that Watson had expressed “genuine and extreme” remorse.

The barrister added: “He never intended for others to be harmed, even though he was contemplating harming himself. He knows…that the consequences of his actions are something that he will have to live with now for the rest of his life.”

Watson was jailed for seven years and six months, and will serve at least two thirds of his sentence in prison. He was also banned from driving for 10 years.

Passing his sentencing remarks, Judge Andrew Stubbs KC said: “Mrs Keye presents a moving and powerful victim impact statement. Its simplicity does not mask the size of her loss of the death of her only son Terry. No sentence I ever pass today will ever compensate for her loss.

“What is plain is that Mr Keye was blameless. You were grossly impaired because of the drink and drugs.”

"He did everything right. Watson, on the other hand, did everything wrong. He chose to drive whilst over the alcohol limit, he chose to drive whilst over the drug drive limit and he chose to drive dangerously. Terrance wasn’t able to make any choices."

Sergeant Mick Kilburn, also from the Major Collision Enquiry Team, added: “Watson is the first person in West Yorkshire to be dealt with under the new sentencing guidelines that came into effect in June 2022. He was previously of good character having never been arrested before. We welcome the lengthy sentence and hope that this sends a message out that dangerous, and drink or drug driving will be dealt with seriously.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the officers who worked tirelessly in the days following this collision, making sure that Watson was no longer a danger to the public. Their hard work and dedication has resulted in a selfish and dangerous driver being imprisoned for a significant period of time.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Terrance’s family, who have had to deal with this devastating incident. Our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time, and I hope that today will allow them some closure on a tragic, yet avoidable, incident.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Simon Marshall, from the West Yorkshire Police Major Collision Enquiry Team, said: “Terrance was cycling home that evening, he was wearing reflective clothing and had lights on his bike.

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/crime/wakefield-road-normanton-crash-family-left-with-immeasurable-grief-after-cyclist-killed-by-drink-driver-4195422