Drink driver killed friend in high-speed crash in Carmarthenshire

A Snapchat video showed Meirion Emerson Roberts drinking lager while driving and his car speedometer at more than 100mph

A man has been found guilty of causing the death of a close friend in a crash, by driving dangerously

Meirion Emerson Roberts, 26, of Heol Las, Ammanford, drank alcohol before driving at speed in Carmarthenshire, Swansea Crown Court was told.

A 20-year-old passenger in his car, Lewis Morgan from Carmarthen, died at the scene.

The court was told Roberts drove off the road in the village of Blaenau on the evening of 4 December 2020.

Roberts' white Vauxhall Corsa veered onto the wrong side of Penygroes Road, smashing into a telegraph pole and then a wall before the car came to a stop on its roof.

• Tributes paid to man killed in one-car crash

Mr Morgan suffered severe head trauma in the crash and died at the scene.

Roberts was taken to hospital and was later arrested.

He admitted to police he had been speeding and drank "five to six" pints of cider at the pub, as well as half a can of beer, on the day of the crash, but pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

During his trial, the jury heard that on the afternoon before the crash Roberts drank a number of pints of cider at The Cottage Inn near the town of Llandeilo at a pre-Christmas work gathering with a number of his colleagues, including Mr Morgan.

Lewis Morgan's family described him as a "larger-than-life character"

Roberts had driven to the country pub and, despite telling friends he had arranged a lift home, he later drove to Mr Morgan's home in Carmarthen, where he consumed more alcohol.

Roberts and Mr Morgan left the house at about 20:10 GMT, telling Mr Morgan's brother they were "going for a spin".

CCTV footage from a shop then showed Roberts and Mr Morgan purchasing alcohol.

'Travelling at more than 100mph'

Jurors saw a Snapchat video, sent by Mr Morgan, showing Roberts drinking from a bottle of lager while driving and listening to loud music.

The video also showed the speedometer of the car, indicating it was travelling at about 100mph.

At about 20:45 GMT the car crashed.

Five hours later, Roberts was found to have 54mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood - below the legal limit of 80mg.

But Dr Rhys Williams, an expert in breath alcohol analysis, said that by his calculations Roberts would have been over the limit at the time of the crash.

PC Mathew Frazer, a forensic collision investigator at Dyfed-Powys Police, said it was his estimation that Roberts had been speeding in the moments leading up to the crash based on footage of the car captured on different CCTV cameras in the area.

He also told the jury: "Having considered the evidence made available to me I am of the opinion that the cause of the collision was the actions or inactions of the driver Meirion Roberts due to intoxication."