A dangerous driver who left a woman seriously injured by veering into oncoming traffic after taking a cocktail of drugs has walked free from court
Robert Lewandowski was twice the drug drive limit for cocaine, more than twice the limit for cannabis and 16 times the limit for a cocaine breakdown product as he drove to his job as an excavator driver. After twice mounting the verge on a Northumberland road, he then swerved into the opposite carriageway and smashed head-on into the car of a woman.
Newcastle Crown Court heard she was left seriously injured, with two fractures to her spine and a broken sternum and nose. The consequences for her have been wide-ranging and she has still not recovered.
Read more: South Shields pair guilty of having shotgun with intent to endanger life after mum's home blasted
It was on September 26 last year around 7.45am that the victim was driving her Ford Fiesta east on the A197, which runs between the A1 at Morpeth and the A189, near Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and passes through Pegswood and Ashington.
Lewandowski was heading west in his Vauxhall Astra and a witness who was driving behind him saw him swerving to the left and briefly mounting a nearside verge before rejoining the road. A few seconds later he again veered to the right and mounted the verge and drove along it for a few seconds.
He then moved across into the opposite lane, colliding head-on with the Fiesta, causing extensive damage to both cars. The victim was initially unable to open her door but managed to push it open with her legs.
Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said: "She began to walk but was in such pain all over her body she had to lie down on the ground." She was taken to hospital and was found to have a fractured sternum, two fractures to her spine and a broken nose.
Lewandowski, who handed police a jar of cannabis from his pocket at the scene, was found to be over the limit for cocaine and cannabis. He was twice the limit for cocaine, 16 times the limit for BZE, a cocaine breakdown product, and more than twice the limit for cannabis. He also had diazepam in his system but was below the limit for that.
Mr Pallister said: "It was being driven in a way which created a substantial risk of danger given the cocktail of drugs in his system."
In a victim impact statement, the woman said there was an "almighty bang" when Lewandowski smashed into her car and she was left with blood pouring down her face. Describing the outcome of a CT scan at hospital, she added: "The results were devastating and my world changed completely.
"I experienced a feeling of helplessness and fear of the unknown which remains with me." She added that four months after the crash, her broken bones had still not fused and there remains uncertainty about when they will heal and she has been told it could take up to two years.
She said: "I've been advised back pain will remain long term and I have to take pain relief every day. It's affected me physically, mentally, financially, socially and I've not been able to go back to work.
"I have flashbacks, nightmares, PTSD and severe anxiety in a vehicle as a passenger and I'm unable to drive myself. I'm also unable to do housework and shopping." The court heard her husband had to take redundancy due to having to look after his wife.
She added: "I feel my time is wholly taken up by dealing with the aftermath of the collision. While I'm making every effort to recover, I'm not progressing as quickly as I hoped.
"I sometimes feel my life will never be the same as it was. I won't know how much progress I can make until it's made.
"I was going to work, that's all and in a moment everything changed."
Lewandowski, 30, of Links Avenue, Amble, Northumberland, has six previous convictions, including for driving while unfit through drugs in 2013, when he was fined and banned. He also has offences of criminal damage, malicious communications, theft and possessing cannabis on his record.
He pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, three offences of drug driving and possessing cannabis. Judge Robert Adams sentenced him to 16 months suspended for 18 months with rehabilitation and 200 hours unpaid work. He must also pay the victim £4,000 compensation and was disqualified from driving for three years.
The judge told him: "You couldn't possibly complain if I sent you to custody today, bearing in mind the consequences of your driving." However he said Lewandowski was capable of rehabilitation and that he was injured himself and that the offence had been a "wake-up call".
He was on his way to work as a machine operator in an excavator, which the judge said was "worrying in itself" and had been doing long shifts and a lengthy commute. Lewandowski said he had taken cocaine and cannabis the day before and thought he was fine to drive.
Mark Styles, defending, said Lewandowski came to the UK from Poland with his family when he was 11 and has always been hard working. He said Lewandowski had been receiving help for his drug problem but had "slipped back into his old ways". He added: "He is deeply remorseful. Clearly that will be little comfort to the victim."
Read more:
- Illegal immigrants jailed after Tyneside's biggest ever cannabis farm worth £1.65m found in Fenham
- Prudhoe OAP pushed to death helping friend left in 'living hell' by neighbour's kittens complaints
- Newcastle knifeman who threatened to kill family's dog and schoolboy's parents walks free
- 'Powerful' North Shields thug killed 'puny' victim with single punch when bad blood ended in tragedy
- 'Inhuman': North Shields couple jailed for a total of 50 years for trying to murder friend
