A judge slammed a dangerous driver for yawning in the dock, before jailing him for causing a crash under the influence of drugs and alcohol - while already banned.
Lawrence Ward had been speeding along Mancunian Way in his Ford Mondeo in the early hours of March 16, 2020.
As the 26-year-old approached Great Ancoats Street, he lost control of his car on the wet road and smashed head-on into a coach filled with passengers and a Maserati.
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Dashcam footage played by prosecution barrister Rachel Faux at Manchester Crown Court showed Ward's car flip into the air at the point of impact and he was taken to hospital with damage to some of his organs and internal bleeding.
The drivers of the Maserati and coach estimated that Ward had been driving between 70 and 90mph at the time of the collision, but they had seen him coming and braked.
Ward was disqualified from driving for 18 months in June 2019, after failing to stop at a crash two years earlier.
In a victim impact statement, the Maserati driver said that he was so traumatised about driving in Manchester city centre since the incident, that he has changed jobs and now has a 40-mile commute.
He added that he can no longer care for his disabled wife as much as he'd like to and that it has affected him financially and physically, aggravating existing spine and neck issues.
The coach driver said that he is grateful to still be alive but remembers crying down the phone to his partner after the incident.
He also said that the passengers screamed as the crash happened.
Ward had 138mg of alcohol in 100ml of his breath - around one-and-a-half times the drink drive limit.
He also had cocaine in his system.
After being arrested, Ward told police that he could not remember what happened but eventually pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, and driving while under the influence of excess alcohol and drugs.
Ms Faux also told the court that Ward, of Dantzic Street, has two convictions for eight offences, including possession of a bladed article, following an incident in July 2020 and failing to stop for police following a collision.
As Alexandra Sutton defended Ward, he yawned in the dock.
The judge, Recorder Matthew Maher said: "It is difficult to take his claims of remorse seriously when he’s yawning behind you."
Mitigating, Ms Sutton responded: "He leads a difficult lifestyle and that may have impacted on his appearance."
Ms Sutton also told the court that Ward has a history of mental health issues and added: "Despite his inability to recall the incident, he has considered the impact of his offending.
"It was extremely self-destructive behaviour and showed disregard for their lives and his own.
"He has significantly declined since this, barely engaging with anyone other than close family and his mother. He barely leaves the house.
"His progress has not been without merit - he hasn’t drank since December or abused substances."
Jailing Ward for eight months, Recorder Maher said: "I've seen shocking footage of you emerging from Mancunian Way at speeds of at least 70mph, if not more, in an area where there is a 30mph speed limit.
"You tried to execute a turn, which you comprehensively failed to do.
"You had no business being behind the wheel of a car.
"You put your life and many other road users' lives at considerable risk.
"You were a major traffic incident just waiting to happen."
He added: "In my view, there was an attempt to minimise responsibility which doesn't sit easily with the suggestion that you are remorseful for what you've done.
"Your learned counsel said that the fact that you were yawning when she was expressing remorse on your behalf may be the result of a fairly significant depressive disorder that you suffer from.
"Whatever depressive disorder you suffered from was manifestly aggravated by the consumption of alcohol and drugs.
"Having seen the video, this matter is just too serious and I would be failing in my public duty, therefore the least sentence I can impose is eight months immediate imprisonment."
Ward was also disqualified from driving for two years and four months, and will have to take an extended retest.
