Drunk driver who killed motorcyclist is jailed

A man who drove after drinking nine pints has been jailed for killing an 18-year-old motorcyclist.

Ashley Quinton, 38, was more than double the legal alcohol limit when he crashed into father-of-one Tyler Durn in 2023 in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. Durn was pronounced dead at the scene.

Quinton, from Gloucestershire, had pleaded guilty to causing death by driving without due care and attention while over the limit. He was sentenced to four years and two months in jail on Friday.

Ellie Durn, Tyler's mum, told Gloucester Crown Court: "The way in which Ty was taken from us will traumatise us as a family forever."

The court was told Tyler lived with his parents about a mile from where the crash happened at 22:50 BST, on Ermin Street in May 2023.

He was heading home after seeing his daughter in Cheltenham, the court heard, and at the time of the incident he had been disqualified for a speeding offence.

Neil Treharne, prosecuting, told the court Quinton drank nine pints of beer before the crash and was seen getting into a Vauxhall Vivaro van with another man at 22:30.

"It's quite clear he definitely was intoxicated and not fit to drive," Treharne said.

The court heard how, at the time of the crash, Tyler had been travelling on his Suzuki 600 between 66mph and 76mph on a 30mph road.

In a previous hearing, Judge Rupert Lowe said: "[Tyler] died because [Quinton] drove carelessly and when he shouldn't have been driving at all, because he was way over the limit, and that's the bottom line.

"It has been calculated that Mr Durn was himself doing more than double the speed limit, and undoubtedly that would have been a contributing factor both to the collision and to the tragic result."

Tyler's mother told the court she spends most of her time at his grave.

She said she feels she is now "a different mummy" to her other sons and daughter.

"They don't get the person I used to be, happy and smiley," she said.

Becca, the mother of Tyler's daughter Clementine, told the court she "often looks for daddy when we go past his work".

She said: "She describes her daddy as the brightest star in the sky and says how much she loves him. She was such a daddy's girl.

"I have kept going for the sake of Clementine. I get upset Ty isn't here and watching the milestones."

Matthew Quinn, Tyler's dad, told the court: "Tyler has been ripped not only from our lives but that of his brothers and sister who have had countless sleepless nights trying to come to terms with the fact they will never see him again.

"It is utterly heartbreaking."

Addressing Quinton, he said: "This has not only ripped apart ours and Ellie's family, but it's also ripped apart yours, Ashley."

Andrew Stone, defending, said: "[Quinton] knows what devastation he has caused others, he lives with that every day.

"Quinton knows he's going to prison for a long time.

"He's quite genuine about wanting to apologise to everybody who has been affected by this."

He added that Quinton, who has two children and two stepchildren, was diagnosed with depression before the crash and "fell into the error of self-medicating".

The judge disqualified Quinton from driving for five years following his release date.

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