Rotherham drink-driver killed friend in 'horror' crash
A drink-driver who killed his friend in a crash four days before Christmas has been jailed for five years.
Thomas Edgar, 27, told officers he had drunk six or seven cans of beer before he lost control of his car near Rotherham, killing Jason Maxfield. Police said Edgar was more than twice the legal alcohol limit Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said: "If ever there was a case that demonstrated the horror of drinking and driving this is it." Sheffield Crown Court heard Edgar had been driving along Bawtry Road at about 23:00 GMT when he attempted to pass another vehicle in his VW Polo. Prosecutor Ian Goldsack said witnesses described seeing the car move sideways across the road before clipping a kerb and crashing through the central reservation. He said Mr Edgar was helped from the car by a passing motorist but front seat passenger Mr Maxfield, 31, was pronounced dead at the scene on 21 December 2019. Edgar was found with 72 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath after the crash. The legal limit is 35 micrograms. 'Devastation' In a statement read in court, Mr Maxfield's mother Jenny said: "To lose a loved one is heartbreaking, when that loved one is your child is horrendous." His brother, Lee Wood, added: "I think about Jason every day. Knowing that I can't speak to him or see him again just rips me apart." Addressing Edgar, Judge Richardson said he had brought "devastation" upon Mr Maxfield's family. Edgar, of of Fern Court, Rotherham, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at a hearing in December. He was also disqualified from driving for six-and-a-half years. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here. Related Internet Links HM Courts Service