Drunk driver William Bennett gets suspended sentence

The fatal crash happened on a country lane near Dunkeswell in east Devon

A man who caused the death of his best friend in a drink-drive crash has been given a suspended jail sentence.

William Bennett was giving Jacob Chugg-White, 23, and three other friends a lift home after drinking at a pub in east Devon when he crashed.

Mr Chugg-White was thrown out of the car and killed as it flipped over on 23 July 2022.

Bennett, of Broadhembury, admitted causing death by careless driving while over the drink-driving limit.

He was jailed for two years, suspended for two years, at Exeter Crown Court on Thursday, following his guilty plea in September.

The 24-year-old was banned from driving for five years and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid community work, 30 days of rehabilitation activities, and 120 days of monitored alcohol abstinence.

'Stupidity of drink-driving'

The court heard Mr Bennett crashed his Volkswagen Golf after losing control on a bend on a country lane near Dunkeswell shortly after midnight.

At the time of the crash he had an alcohol reading of at least 96 milligrams in 100 litres of blood, which is above the legal limit of 80 milligrams.

The court was told it appeared Mr Chugg-White, who was in the back seat, had not been wearing a seat belt.

All five occupants of the car were friends and members of the Honiton Young Farmers Club.

'Racked with remorse'

The victim, who had a smallholding with 100 sheep, had won awards for husbandry and was about to start a placement on a sheep station in New Zealand.

He was also a keen sportsman who had played rugby for Sidmouth.

In a victim statement read to the court, his mother Sandra Chugg said: "I cannot describe the loss - the loneliness is unbearable.

"It breaks my heart every day to think Jacob was taken away through the stupidity of drinking and driving."

Judge Mr Justice Saini told Bennett: "These offences are always serious because someone has lost their life."

Rachel Smith, mitigating, said Bennett was "racked with remorse" and had had to seek help for his mental health.