'Reckless' drug driver who killed friend jailed

Bailey was a jailed for 12 years and nine months at Grimsby Crown Court on Wednesday

A man who killed his friend in a high-speed crash after inhaling nitrous oxide behind the wheel has been jailed.

Ben Bailey, 36, of no fixed address, had been driving a Mercedes sports car at speeds of more than 90mph (140km/h) on the A1077 in Scunthorpe in February 2023 when he crashed into a lamppost, police said.

He was thrown from the vehicle, and his 22-year-old passenger, who has not been named, was helped by a passer-by and paramedics, but died at the scene.

Bailey, who had admitted causing death by dangerous driving, was sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison at Grimsby Crown Court on Wednesday. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 years and one month.

Humberside Police said a passing lorry driver put their own safety at risk to extinguish a fire that was threatening to engulf the vehicle.

His injured passenger was helped out of the vehicle by passers-by who provided first aid, but when they approached Bailey to offer assistance, he told them not to ring the police and to just take him to hospital.

'Extremely selfish'

Items seized from the wreckage included mobile phones, nitrous oxide gas canisters in the driver's footwell, and a quantity of balloons used to inhale it, police said.

Videos retrieved from Bailey's phone showed he had been inhaling nitrous oxide behind the wheel.

A subsequent investigation also found the phone had been in constant use during the journey.

Sgt Rob Mazingham, from the force's serious collisions unit, said Bailey had behaved in "an extremely selfish and senseless manner".

"Not only by using his phone and not wearing a seatbelt, but by being under the influence of cannabis and inhaling laughing gas at the same time, all, it may seem, to appease his own reckless thrills and to post on social media."

In a statement, the victim's family said: "While no sentence will ever make up for our loss, we consider this a positive outcome.

"We would like to thank the HGV driver and the other members of the public that assisted at the scene immediately after the collision, and the police and Crown Prosecution Service for their efforts in securing this conviction."

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