'Children lost their dad and I lost the love of my life' says mum as driver on drugs is jailed for causing fatal crash

SUSAN DOHERTY WAS ALSO SERIOUSLY HURT

- By SAM RUSSELL, PA

William Doherty died in the fatal collision

(DOHERTY FAMILY/CAMBRIDGESHIRE POLICE)

A YOUNG man who was on drugs and "swerving all over the road" in his mother's Jaguar car before causing a fatal crash has been jailed for nine years and four months.

Adam Bates, 23, said he had "previously been addicted to benzodiazepines and had taken one the night before" the crash on the A10, Cambridge Crown Court heard.

The crash killed 53-year-old father William Doherty and seriously injured his wife Susan Doherty, who was his passenger, leaving her with a bleed on the brain.

Judge Philip Grey, sentencing, said that a "hardworking, law-abiding family has been torn apart" and that it was because of Bates's "bad and selfish choices".

He said that at the time Bates was "using a number of prescription drugs that you were not in fact prescribed with".

He said: "Your driving was very, very bad that day. It's obvious you were severely impaired."