Snapchat drink driver Meirion Roberts jailed for death crash

A man has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after killing his friend during a high-speed crash.

In February, Meirion Roberts, 26, was found guilty of causing the death of Lewis Morgan, 20, by driving dangerously.

A Snapchat video showed Roberts drank beer before crashing in a village in Carmarthenshire on 4 December 2020.

Mr Morgan, from Carmarthen, died at the scene after Roberts drove off the road in Blaenau, Swansea Crown Court heard.

Mr Morgan was described by his colleagues as "a popular employee - a really good lad and a really nice bloke".

A Snapchat video showing Roberts drinking from a bottle of lager while driving was shown to jurors at his trial in February

• Tributes paid to man killed in one-car crash

During last month's trial, 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.

A witness described Roberts' car as "flying" and CCTV showed his car passing through Penygroes at speed.

An off-duty firefighter, who witnessed Roberts' driving before the crash, thought he was "being chased by police" at the time.

Roberts' car left the road on the off-side and crashed into a telegraph pole which snapped off at its base.

Lewis Morgan died at the scene of the crash

Circuit Judge Christopher Vosper QC said, in his sentencing remarks to Roberts, that "the evidence and the speed at which you drove through the bend and the effect of alcohol was what caused the crash".

He added that Roberts was "21 micrograms over the legal limit but were probably far more intoxicated than that".

Roberts, of Heol Las, Ammanford, was also disqualified from driving for six years and nine months and will have to take an extended driving test before receiving a licence again.