A dad who ploughed into a man trying to cross the road had more than seven times the legal limit of cocaine in his blood.
Allan Breen also had his son in the car as he crashed into Paul Tyler on Prescot Road last year, putting him in hospital for four weeks. The 43 year old, who is already serving a sentence for drug offences, was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court today.
Amber Owen, who was driving directly in front of Breen before the accident but swerved to avoid Mr Tyler directly before Breen crashed into him, has been fined for careless driving. Charlotte Atherton, prosecuting, said Breen and Owen both stopped at a red light next to each other on the evening of April 14 before driving off at speed when it turned green.
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The pair, who do not know each other, then turned on to Prescot Road and sped down it. Owen claimed she felt threatened by Breen and was trying to get away from him - but he denies this. Ms Atherton said: “As they drive along it is clear that Mr Breen is tailgating Miss Owen’s car.
“On Prescot Road, not far after the junction with Sheil Road, a pedestrian stepped into the road. She swerved to avoid him but Mr Breen hit Mr Tyler, who struck Mr Breen’s windscreen and was catapulted across the road.”
Mr Tyler suffered open fractures to one of his legs as well as head and facial injuries. He required two surgeries and spent a month in hospital due to his injuries. In a statement to the court he said he still struggled to move freely because of the damage to his leg.
Claire Jones, defending Breen, said he deeply regretted what he had done. She said he took actions after the crash to help Mr Tyler, parking his car to protect him from traffic and trying to help him before emergency services arrived.
Ms Jones said: “He wants me to make it clear that he is not the type of person to drive away from what happened. He is very remorseful. He said in interview that he is sorry for what he did and sorry for the injuries caused to the victim.”
Breen is already serving a prison sentence for drugs offences committed before the crash and was due for release on curfew later this year. Ms Jones appealed to the judge to take into account numerous issues facing his children and his mother, saying Breen wanted to be able to support them and was limited in how he could do that while in jail.
Jonathan Duffy, defending Owen, said she began to speed because she felt threatened by Breen. He said: “This is a case where a young woman travelling in her car felt intimidated by the people in the car that came across her. She accepts she drove faster than she otherwise would have done, essentially to put some distance between her and the car behind.” Ms Jones said Breen still completely rejected Owen’s claims and said he was not driving in an intimidatory way.
Judge Gary Woodhall said the circumstances were difficult to understand given Breen and Owen did not know each other but that the consequences were disastrous. He said: “You, Breen, were tailgating Miss Owen’s car. You weren’t known to one another and it is therefore not clear to me why you both engaged in this kind of driving - and yet you did.”
Judge Woodhall said the impacts on Mr Tyler had been profound, referencing a statement where he said his continued issues with his injuries had made him “a prisoner in his own home”.
Breen, of Regal Road, was jailed for two years and eight months. Amber Owen, of Heather Brow, Claughton, was fined £450 and ordered to pay prosecution costs.
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