Death-crash driver jailed

Published on 24th May 2007 in News

A FORMER publican who killed his wife of 33 years by driving dangerously after drinking more than three-and-a-half times the permitted level of alcohol has been jailed for four years.

Childhood sweethearts David and Diane Gosling had been to a family birthday party when Mr Gosling had two double brandies before climbing behind the wheel of his powerful Rover Vitesse car.

York Crown Court was told the defendant had a drink problem and had drunk six pints of lager the previous evening.

On the drive home on November 5 last year, Mr Gosling (49), lost control of the car on a series of bends at Walden Stubbs, near Whitley Bridge. The car mounted a grass verge before crossing the road at an acute angle and smashing into an oncoming vehicle.

Mr Gosling, of Sweyne Garth in Swinefleet, was helped from the wreckage, but his wife was trapped and died 11 days later in hospital. A couple in the second car escaped with minor injuries.

The father of three pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to causing the death of his wife by dangerous driving whilst unfit through drink. He had an alcohol reading of 116 microgrammes in his breath - the legal limit for driving being 35 microgrammes.

Mr Gosling appeared before the crown court on Tuesday for sentencing and was told by the Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, that he would also be banned from driving for 10 years and would be allowed back behind the wheel only after passing an extended driving test.

Mr Rob Galley, prosecuting, said that Mr Gosling, who has been identified as a suicide risk, had a previous drink-drive conviction from 1997.

David Taylor, mitigating, said that Mr Gosling and his wife had been a devoted couple who had suffered a tragedy only a year before the accident with the death of a son in a road accident.

He added that among the references sent to court from family and friends was one from a priest, who said the defendant was "Going through his own form of hell.". Another, from the defendant's son Terry Gosling, outlined the feelings of the family over the loss of a brother, a mother and now a father, if he had to go to prison.

Passing sentence Judge Hoffman said: "It seems that for years you have been endangering the public and chancing your arm by habitually taking the wheel whilst drunk or unfit to drive through drink."

He noted that as little as five days before appearing for sentence, a psychiatric report showed that Mr Gosling was still drinking and could not imagine a life without alcohol. The author of the report also expressed the opinion that Mr Gosling was likely to drink himself to death.

After sentence was passed David Morgan - Mrs Gosling's twin brother - shouted from the public gallery: "He wants help. You had the opportunity to help that bloke and you haven't."

l Outside the court Mr Morgan said: "He (the judge) has just passed a death sentence on my brother-in-law.

"Prison is the wrong environment for him and the first opportunity he gets he is going to take his own life," he added.

Mr Morgan said that all the family had been hoping Mr Gosling would be allowed home and given help through some sort of supervision.

Mr Gosling's son, Terry (32) said: "I am in 100 per cent agreement with that."

Adding that his father had not driven since the accident, he said: "The driving ban is right, but the jail sentence isn't. He should be coming home."

The family are now investigating the possibility of getting the sentence changed or reduced on appeal and are taking legal advice.