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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
National
Geoffrey Bennett

Drug-driver in head-on crash was found snoring at the wheel of his car

A drug-driver was so spaced out in his car he was found snoring at the wheel after being in a head-on smash.

Christopher Paice consumed a cocktail of substances before taking his father's Mitsubishi Shogun without consent.

Witnesses saw him swerving on the road before he ploughed into an oncoming Transit van.

Bristol Crown Court heard both vehicles were written off and it was a "miracle" nobody was seriously harmed.

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Paice, 41, of All Hallows Road in Easton, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified and without insurance in February last year.

Judge James Patrick jailed him for two years. He told Paice: "You are unable to remember even driving."

He said how Paice was disqualified at the time and subject to a community order. Both the van and Paice's vehicle were written off.

Judge James Patrick added: "You took the vehicle without permission and you were heavily intoxicated.

"You tell me you may lose your accommodation if you are sent to prison.

"But you have brought this whole, sorry affair on yourself."

Paice was banned from driving for two years from his release from custody and ordered to take an extended driving test.

Witnesses saw car spin 180 degrees

Susan Cavender, prosecuting, said Paice took his father's Mitsubishi Shogun and headed from Bryants Hill towards the city centre.

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Witnesses described seeing the Mitsubishi nearly miss an exit on a roundabout, swerve into the middle of the road, crash head-on with a Transit van and spin 180 degrees.

Van Driver Mark Ogden said the vehicle came straight into him.

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Miss Cavender said: "His airbag inflated.

"He got out of his van and went to the Shogun and he found the defendant slumped over the steering wheel.

"Paramedic Louise Balson arrived with an ambulance and found the defendant was snoring.

"He had pinpoint pupils, he was breathing slowly and appeared to be under the influence of drugs."

The court heard a bystander suggested Paice had taken the drug Xanax.

When the paramedic gave Paice a drug to reverse the effects of opiates, he said he had broken up with his girlfriend, "gone on it" and taken drugs including Xanax. He said he had been awake all night and was very tired.

Mr Ogden sustained shock as well as a grazed right ankle and a sore right hand.

Paice sustained a fractured knee bone, a cut forehead and a ruptured spleen.

Anthony Kneale, who was a passenger in the Shogun, sustained a cut to his face.

When Paice was interviewed he told police he had no recollection of the incident.

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Crash coincided with anniversary of mum's death

Robyn Rees, a probation officer, said the incident coincided with the anniversary of the death of Paice's mum and he had socialised with a friend.

Miss Rees said: "It was sheer luck nobody was killed.

"It is a miracle no-one was seriously harmed."

Matthew Comer, defending, said his client was stable on a drug used to treat opioid addiction.

Mr Comer told the court: "Nobody was seriously injured in this incident.

"I accept that is fortuitous."

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