DRINK DRIVER WHO KILLED A SALFORD UNI STUDENT STAYING WITH FAMILY IN KIRKHAM HAS HIS SENTENCE CUT BY COURTS

A drunk driver from Lytham who mowed down and killed a 19-year-old Salford Uni student who was staying with family in Kirkham during lockdown, has had his sentence cut.

David Turner lost control of the Audi S3 he was driving which lead to the death of 19-year-old Gabriel Field who he collided with as he was walking to a local shop to get snacks, Turner had downed 10 pints of larger as well as shots of tequila and sambuca shortly before the accident.

Turner reportedly sped from the carpark of the Swan Hotel and was seen to be travelling of speeds upwards of 70mph on a 20mph residential street before losing control.

So horrific was the collision, the vehicle left the road, destroying a bench before coming to rest after hitting a tree. University of Salford student, Gabriel, was killed instantly. A passenger in the vehicle was also seriously injured.

During the investigation into the collision, Turner refused to cooperate with Police and even refused consent for police to access his hospital records or access vehicle data on the speed he was travelling at when the airbags of his vehicle deployed.

Today at a court of appeal hearing, he had his jail sentence REDUCED after a successful appeal by his lawyers, who argued that he should have been awarded a 30% reduction on his sentence as his early indication that he would plead guilty at magistrates court 'spared Gabriel's family the ordeal of a trial'.

Mrs Justice McGowan said:

Quote

"We find, according to the indication that was given and on further investigation, that the Crown Court should have afforded the appellant a reduction of one third."

His sentence has now been reduced from seven and a half years to six years and eight months. Additionally a driving ban has also been cut to five years and 40 weeks.

Main image: David Turner & His Crashed Audi

Inset: Gabriel Fields