A drink-driver came to realise he had hit and killed a couple crossing a road with his van after his partner found a handbag on his bonnet. Upon making the discovery he said: "Oh my God, oh my God" and vomited.
Michael Saltmarsh, 48, was "grossly impaired" when he killed "soulmates" David Gay, 58, and Wendy Gay, 67, as they walked across a pelican crossing in Caerphilly at around 7.30pm on March 17. Mrs Gay died at the scene as a result of her injuries and Mr Gay died three days later in hospital.
Upon returning to his home nearby Saltmarsh told his partner Rebecca Parry he had "bumped" his van. She could tell he was drunk and called him "f****** pathetic" but upon checking the damaged vehicle she discovered Mrs Gay's handbag.
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Witnesses to the collision initially thought the body of Mrs Gay was a coat but later realised the true horror of the situation. She lost consciousness shortly after the collision but Mr Gay attempted to get up and repeatedly asked: "Where is my wife?"
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard Saltmarsh's Vauxhall Vivaro sped through a red light in Nantgarw Road, outside Aber railway station, when the collision with the Gays took place. Following the collision he did not stop but carried on driving to his home in Station Terrace.
A passenger behind the defendant described seeing the traffic lights on red for some considerable time and said Mr and Mrs Gay were well into the carriageway. Shortly later the witness noticed a body lying in the road. It was later revealed to be Mr Gay who was bleeding from the right side of his head.
It was at this point the passenger realised what she had thought was a coat in the road was the body of Mrs Gay. She approached the victim who was lying on her back but Mrs Gay was unable to speak and was drifting in and out of consciousness.
Prosecutor Andrew Davies said passers-by helped the couple before the emergency services arrived but Mrs Gay was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr Gay was taken to hospital where he regained consciousness but became delirious and struggled to breathe. He died on March 20.
Saltmarsh arrived home at 7.46pm and argued with Ms Parry before she made the discovery of the handbag. She told the defendant he had hit someone, to which he responded: "Oh my God, oh my God" and vomited.
He continued to claim he hadn't hit a person, saying: "I don't know what I hit. It might have been a sign". Ms Parry later drove to Nantgarw Road and saw the road had been blocked off and she made the decision to call the police.
As they arrived at the house Saltmarsh asked officers: "Is she okay? I hope she's okay." He was breathalysed and found to be over the drink-drive limit with a reading of 61mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. He gave no comment when interviewed by police.
A collision report concluded the defendant was travelling between 37mph and 52mph and the victims would have been visible for 11 seconds before impact. He later admitted to drinking four or five pints at a pub before driving home from work in Cardiff.
Saltmarsh, of Station Terrace, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol, and failing to stop following a road accident. The court heard he had two previous convictions for drink-driving.
In a victim personal statement read out the court Mrs Gay's son Adam Lawrence said he discovered his mother had been killed the day after her death. He said: "I was called by my family liaison officer and given the worst possible news – that my mother had passed away. I was shocked and I couldn't speak....
"When someone had been charged with causing her death by dangerous driving I didn't know how to feel. I felt relief someone was accountable. It was pointless – this should never have happened and was completely avoidable. I was aware Dave [Gay] had been seriously injured and a few days later he passed away. This knocked me for six because I got on really well with him...
"[My mum] did so much for me and was always there for me. She always made me feel better and feeling her voice would calm and reassure me. [Mum and Dave] were everything to each other and were soulmates... They were outgoing, enjoyed trips away and holidays, and had so much to live for and I feel robbed of their lives by the reckless and irresponsible actions of the driver who hit them. I don't know how I will get over my mum's death... Mum has been robbed of her life and I feel we have been robbed of life with mum."
Valerie Thomas, Mr Gay's sister, said the "dreadful situation" had caused "unimaginable pain". She said: "These events were completely avoidable and could have been prevented if not for the actions of the driver....
"I cannot imagine how Dave must have felt. He was told in hospital Wendy had passed away and I cannot imagine how he would have felt or the impact that would have had on him. They were together for 15 years, soulmates, and devoted to each other. This brutally sad and avoidable situation has destroyed many lives. It's impossible to imagine how we will understand the impact of the devastating and selfish actions of the driver."
In mitigation Kevin Seal said his client didn't seek sympathy from the court and understood he couldn't turn the clock back and needed to be punished. The defence barrister said there would be an impact on the defendant's children and family but he acknowledged they would one day be reunited – unlike the victims and their family.
Sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson said: "The loss of human life and the pain that causes is something no sentence of the court can ever truly reflect. This hearing will end today but the effect of what you did will endure for many years to come on the loved ones Mr and Mrs Gay leave behind as well as your loved ones."
Saltmarsh was sentenced to a total of 11 years and four months imprisonment. He will serve two-thirds of the sentence before his release and will be disqualified from driving for 14 years and three months.
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