The family of a 'kind-hearted' dad killed by a drink-driver with a flat tyre in a head-on collision said their lives have been 'destroyed' as they criticised the length of prison sentence handed out by a judge.
William Ludlow, 65, was enjoying a day out with his partner on the Wirral when Andrew Stinchcomb drove his BMW 3 Series into the opposite lane and smashed into his car at speed. Mr Ludlow, originally from Anfield and living in Seaforth, was airlifted to hospital with critical injuries, but sadly died two days later.
Stinchcomb, 40, told police at the scene that he had been 'drinking spirits' and was found to be more than double the legal drink-drive limit when he was tested six hours after the smash on Willaston Road in Neston on July 26, 2021.
He was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, January 4, for 56 months - four years and eight months - after admitting causing death by careless driving. Speaking to the ECHO after the sentencing hearing, Mr Ludlow's son Tom, 34, said "I was absolutely devastated.
"I was hoping for a minimum of seven years. I'm not cruel - everyone's got family, everyone goes through mental health, but at the end of the day he drank [twice] the limit and he shouldn't have been in that car and my dad would have been alive today."
Paying tribute to his dad, who had recently retired from his job as a computer programmer, Tom described him as a "happy go lucky fella." He said: "He was an IT nerd, always behind a computer desk. He was a very smart person. He had a degree in Maths.
"He loved to have a pint, he was into his real ales. He was a member of CAMRA [Campaign for Real Ale]. He was a lovely, kind-hearted bloke and he wouldn't hurt a fly. He loved all of us to bits."
Tom said his message to anybody thinking of getting behind the wheel after having a drink would be: "It's not worth anybody's life to drink and drive. It's completely destroyed our family.
"My little girls are five and six and they still ask about grandad Bill. My eldest daughter is 13 and she had the biggest bond with my dad - he's like a big teddy bear. She loved him to bits."
Stinchcombe - who has no previous convictions - had a flat tyre on the front nearside of his car, while one of his rear tyres was also found to be underinflated. The vehicle had "been driven for some distance" in this condition, the court heard.
Sentencing, Judge Stuart Driver KC said: "This case involves the untimely death of Mr William Ludlow. He was a well-loved family man. The loss to his relatives and friends cannot possibly be calculated. Six hours after the the accident, a blood sample was taken from you in which your alcohol level was 165mg per 100ml.
"Common sense dictates that it must have been higher at the time of the accident. It is accepted that your driving can be considered as falling not far short of dangerousness.
"The court can take into account the numerous references which speak highly of your personal qualities. I take into account that you were suffering from poor mental health at the time, and that contributed to your offending.
"Your family, including your two young children, will be separated from you for a long time. Mr Ludlow's family have been entirely bereaved of him.
"You have shown true remorse and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. I thank Mr Ludlow's family for the dignity shown in these proceedings. Stinchcomb was also banned from driving for six years and four months.
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