‘Selfish act’ Drug-driver jailed for crash that killed ‘much-loved’ Neil

A DRUG driver has been jailed for killing a former teacher who was enjoying a morning bike ride.

- Court REPORTER

Daniel Booth was driving in Aust when his car veered into the path of an oncoming bike, ridden by 56-year-old Neil Routley, who died from the injuries he sustained on June 29 last year.

Booth, from Lydney, was arrested at the scene in Aust Road. He was found to have 14 micrograms of cocaine and 800 micrograms of benzoylecgonine (BZE) in his system. The legal limit is 10 micrograms and 50 micrograms respectively.

The court was told Booth had taken cocaine approximately 12 hours before the incident and the delayed impact of taking the drug has impaired his driving.

The 31-year-old was driving a Mercedes car at the time of the collision, which was fitted with a dash-cam. The footage was reviewed during the police investigation and showed Booth on multiple occasions hitting kerbs and verges in the minutes before the incident.

He also could be heard yawning and making a comment about feeling tired.

Jo Routley, from Winterbourne, said her husband was hugely missed by those who knew and loved him.

She said: “Neil was a much-loved husband, brother and son. We are devastated by his loss.