Northampton driver who killed 'dearly loved' father in crash last year was also caught drink driving in March

It has emerged a Northampton driver who killed an 81-year-old man in a devastating crash last year was caught also drink-driving in March.

Ross Simms, of New Bird Lake, Northampton, was jailed for three years in August this year after he lost control of his Nissan and collided head-on with a Mazda close to Great Doddington in January 2019.His careless driving cost the life of 81-year-old Terrance White, who died as a result of his injuries. A young boy and a woman in her 30s, who were Simms passengers, were also seriously injured.

But it has now emerged Simms, 26, was also caught drunk-driving in March this year, 14 months after the crash and five months before he was jailed.

He appeared on video link at Northampton Magistrate's Court yesterday (September 29) to plead guilty to driving a motor vehicle while above the legal limit. He was also uninsured.

The 26-year-old was spotted by officers on the A45 in Wellingborough on March 4 this year after police thought they saw a speeding Black Seat.

Simms was pulled over and claimed he had only had "a double jack and coke" at a nearby pub. He was breathalyzed and registered 44 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

At magistrate's court, Simms was disqualified for 16 months and handed an 18 month conditional discharge - but this is on top of the three year sentence he received in August for the death of Mr White.

At the sentencing in August, Simms was disqualified for six years and ordered to retake his driving test on release.

Speaking in August, lead investigator, Detective Sergeant Mahesh Patel of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: "The devastation Ross Simms’ actions have caused cannot be measured. Terry was a much-loved father, grandfather, son and brother, and leaves behind family and friends, who all thought the absolute world of him. No sentence will ever make up for his death.

“I hope Simms is aware, that as result of his reckless use of the road, he has left a family completely and forever heartbroken and I hope he will use his time in prison to reflect on this fact.

“Throughout the investigation and at court, Terry’s family have displayed immense courage, dignity and emotional strength, and I hope the conclusion of this case will provide them with some sort of closure and give them the time to grieve properly.”

Speaking after the sentencing on behalf of Terry’s family, his two daughters and son Melanie, Suzanne and Andrew, said: “The sudden loss of our father has not only affected our family but also his close friends and past students who he taught.

“The stress of trying to understand and come to terms with what happened, having to sell the family home and taking care of other matters, while also having to deal with an investigation and court case, has put a huge strain on all of the family.

“He was a huge part of all our lives and we all miss him so much. We had so many special family celebrations we were looking forward to sharing with him, and these have just not been the same without him.

“His grandson, Jacob, misses him greatly. Every other weekend he visited Dad, where they enjoyed playing games at the park or going to feed the ducks. Since Dad has gone, Jacob still gets upset that he can't go to see him anymore.

“He was also very close to his mum, who was 99-years-old, when he died. He was the one person who had been in her life the longest. We were all looking forward to celebrating her 100th birthday in January, but after Dad’s death her health deteriorated and she passed away last September.”