Drug-driver who killed cyclist in crash jailed

Matthew Bates, 37, ploughed into 64-year-old Colin Banks, who was riding along Coventry Road in Sapcote

A driver who was under the influence of drugs when he killed a cyclist in a crash in a Leicestershire village has been jailed.

Matthew Bates was behind the wheel of his Audi Q5 when he hit Colin Banks, 64, who was riding along Coventry Road in Sapcote on 30 January 2022.

Bates, 37, had two young children in the car at the time of the crash and was also "likely" to have been distracted by his phone, police said.

He pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drugs and was jailed for three years and nine months at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday.

Leicestershire Police said Bates, of Buckinghams Way, Sharnford, Leicestershire, was driving the Audi Q5 shortly before 10:00 GMT when it crashed into a push bike before coming to rest in a hedgerow.

Officers found a mobile phone in the footwell of the car, and when examined, it revealed the device had been used throughout the seven minutes prior to the crash.

Benzoylecgonine – the main metabolite of cocaine – was also in his system.

Mr Banks was taken to hospital, but died from his injuries later the same day.

Det Con Paul Hicks said: "The fact that there were two young children in the car at the time – when his focus was not on the road ahead – is alarming.

"Sadly, Mr Banks's family are still having to live with the consequences of his actions, but I hope this case serves as a warning to others who think it's OK to use a phone or other electronic device behind the wheel."

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