3 days ago
Days after being banned and clearly under influence of alcohol, he caused head-on crash
Days after being banned and clearly under influence of alcohol, he caused head-on crash
Lee Lock tried to blame the car's spare tyre and the bad weather
Lee Lock
(Image: Dyfed-Powys Police )
A speeding driver who lost control on a roundabout and slammed head-on into a van, a court has heard. Earlier the same morning Lee Lock's car had been seen swerving back and forth across the road, clipping a kerb, and remaining stationary at green traffic lights, while the defendant himself had been seen "staggering" across a garage forecourt.
Swansea Crown Court heard Lock would later blame the weather and the space-save tyre on his car for "aquaplaning" on the roundabout.
The court also heard that a matter of days before the crash the defendant had been banned from driving having clocked up 12 penalty points on his licence, and a judge said it was clear the 37-year-old had a disregard for the safety of other road users.
Alexandra Wilson, prosecuting, told the court that on the morning of January 20 this year a motorist near the site of Oakwood Park theme park in Pembrokeshire was following a VW Golf which was seen to be swerving back and forth across the road, crossing the white lines in the middle of the road, and clipping the nearside kerb.
The VW was seen to remain stationary at traffic lights after they had turned green, only moving off when other road users beeped their horns.
The court heard that the motorist continued to follow the Golf and watched it pull into a garage where the driver - Lock - was seen to get out and "stagger" across the forecourt. The defendant's driving was reported to the police. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter
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The court heard that a short time later Lock was involved in a head-on crash at the Sentry Cross roundabout.
The prosecutor said witnesses saw the Golf approach the junction from the direction of Neyland "at speed", and the driver was seen to "whip" the car around the roundabout. The court heard back end of the VW slid out and Lock over-steered to try to correct it causing him to exit the roundabout on the wrong side of the road and to slam head-on into an oncoming van.
The prosecutor said when emergency services arrived at the scene they found both vehicles badly damaged, the Golf's airbags deployed, and Lock "moaning and mumbling" and slurring his words. Watch a pedestrian narrowly avoiding being hit as a dangerous driver crashes into cars and flips his own vehicle over
The court heard the driver of the van was trapped in his vehicle and after being freed was taken to hospital where he underwent CT and MRI scans.
He later described how the pain caused by the crash had been "unbelievable" and said he had been "terrified" while stuck in his crashed van and that all he could think about what his family.
In his police interview the defendant denied he had been "swerving" across the road at any point and he said there had been a space-saver wheel on the car and he had aquaplaned at the roundabout as a result of the "diabolical" weather.
The court heard that at the time of the driving Lock was being investigated for a weapon offence after police had found a knife in a medication bag under the driver's seat of his camper van in Cross Hands in Carmarthenshire in June 2024. The defendant told police the knife was homemade.
Lee Lock, of Coombs Road, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
He has nine previous convictions for 14 offences, the last being for engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour from 2017. At the time of the crash he was disqualified from driving having been banned as a "totter" with 12 points on his licence in January 2025.
Caitlin Brazel, for Lock, said the pre-sentence report before the court detailed the defendant's adverse childhood experiences and traumas which had impacted on his development and thinking processes, and she said her client had spent the last 18 years on medication for anxiety and depression.
The barrister said that during their conference her client appeared to be deeply remorseful for his actions and she said he realised he could have been facing far more serious charges as a result of what happened on the roads.
Judge Paul Thomas KC told the defendant that at a time when he had only recently been disqualified he had driven dangerously "when clearly effected by alcohol" and had caused a head-on crash. He said it was "simply good luck" that the driver of the van which Lee crashed into did not suffer serious injuries, and he said it was clear the defendant had no regard for the safety of other road users.
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With one-quarter discounts for his guilty pleas Lock was sentenced to 16 months in prison for the motoring matters and two months for the knife offence to run consecutively making a total sentence of 18 months.
The defendant will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Lock was banned from driving for three years and must pass an extended test before he can get a licence.
