A drug-drive dad who killed his young son in a motorway smash will 'have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life', prosecutors have said.
Leon Clarke, 40, was 13 times over the drug-driving limit when he got behind the wheel of his uninsured BMW to pick up his two sons Blake, eight, and Mason, six, from their grandparents' house in Middleton, near Rochdale, to drive to Marple, Stockport.
A court heard in heavy rain and standing water in February 2020, he lost control of the car on the M60 near Audenshaw and it aquaplaned and collided with a highways maintenance lorry parked on the hard shoulder.
Blake, together with his younger brother, was pulled from the wreckage of the BMW 3 Series, but tragically died in hospital hours later.
Clarke, of Red Lane, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving whilst over the drug driving limit and causing death by driving while uninsured. He was jailed by a judge for four years at a sentencing hearing at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday.
The Crown Prosecution Service, which brought the tragic case to court, said Clarke's drug use would 'no doubt' have 'contributed to his impairment to drive carefully'.
Jayne Sharpe, a senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS, said in a statement released after the case: "Leon Clarke was well over the drug limit when he chose to drive with his two young children in the car.
"Those drugs will have no doubt contributed to his impairment to drive carefully. He will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life. My thoughts are with all those who have been affected by the truly tragic events of that day."
Clarke, added the CPS, was driving in the outside lane when he aquaplaned and lost control of the BMW. The car pivoted 180 degrees before hitting a stationary Iveco highways truck on the hard shoulder, which was clearing debris from an earlier incident.
"Members of the public stopped, removed Blake from the back seat of the wreckage and began CPR until the arrival of the emergency services," said the CPS statement. "He was taken to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, where he sadly died at 3.09pm.
"Leon Clarke was 13 times over the legal drug drive limit for Benzoylecgonine (also known as BZE) and was not insured to drive the BMW. He was also disqualified from driving for four years."
When officers examined the BMW, they found its rear tyres to be in "poor condition". The tread on both tyres was below the legal limit while one had a slow puncture with a screw embedded in it. The lack of grip on the tyres is believed to have contributed to the vehicle having aquaplaned.
In a statement issued via Greater Manchester Police today, Vicky Consterdine paid tribute to her "loving" boy" who had a "bright future". She also shared a cherished family photograph of her, Blake and his younger brother Mason.
Vicky said: “Blake was cheeky, he was the joker, he was popular, and he was very clever, he had a bright future. Blake was sensitive, affectionate, protective of Mason, his friends and me.
"He loved school, so much so he couldn’t wait to get back to school on that Monday. He loved his friends, which he had from nursery. He enjoyed street dance, computer games and Lego. Blake loved life and loved his family. Having been told by the hospital that Blake had died and seeing Mason with minor injuries. I couldn’t understand how one of my children was okay and the other was dead.
"On the day of Blake’s funeral, he was lay in his coffin. I knew this would be the last time I would see Blake, kiss him and touch his skin. I was screaming, shouting at him "Please Blake, please wake up for mummy.”
"Blake and Mason didn’t get a choice or a chance that day after they left their nana's, all the choices were made for them by their dad who they were both excited to see. He killed my precious Blake by the decisions he made on that day.
"My boys didn’t stand a chance. Now I live in a continuous nightmare that I’m yet to wake from. Mason has lost his best friend and I have lost my beautiful son, and the life and love I once had."
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