A drunk man who seriously injured a woman and two children while driving has been jailed.
Christopher Burden, 46, of Weaveland Road, Tisbury, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court last Friday (7 February).
He received a two-year custodial sentence, the first of which will be spent in prison and the second on license. A driving disqualification of two years will be imposed upon his release from prison.
The charges relate to a collision which took place on the A30 at Donhead St Mary on 17 November 2023.
Burden was over the drink drive limit, was speeding and overtook a vehicle on a blind bend over solid white lines before he collided with the victim family’s car.
Just 10 minutes before the incident, Burden had crashed his motorcycle into a parked car near his former address near Shaftesbury. He was helped up by bystanders who suspected he was drunk, but returned home and drove off in his BMW.
By the time police received a call from the bystanders raising suspicions of Burden’s fitness to drive, he had caused a serious collision.
The victim driver said that her daughter, who was 10 years old at the time, suffered significant psychological trauma and experienced nightmares up to three times per week for six months as a result of the crash.
In a statement, the victim said: “[My daughter] had six sessions of therapy with a psychologist which helped, but it took time for her to feel comfortable going in the car and she still doesn’t sit in the seat she was in at the time of the collision.
“She would also get triggers which caused flash backs, such as the smell of burning and loud noises.
“This would cause her to freeze on the spot, and we worked out a coping mechanism where I would squeeze her hand to re-assure her.”
Thankfully, all three victims made a full physical recovery.
Temporary Detective Constable Alexander Collins, Wiltshire Police’s Roads Policing Lead Investigator, said: “Burden caused a substantial amount of physical and psychological damage to a family who must now live with the consequences of his reckless behaviour for the rest of their lives.
“If you drink alcohol and drive, you are far more likely to be involved in a fatal collision. If you survive, you will be brought to court where you will face a mandatory driving disqualification and possibly jail time.”
