Death crash driver sentenced

Wladysuik was sentenced to five years in jail

A man who drove under the influence of drugs and caused the death of his back-seat passenger has been jailed for five years.

Steven Wladysuik, 20, admitted causing the death of 16-year-old Theresa Wales on 4 March, 2002.

Wladysuik crashed his car into a roundabout in Govan, Glasgow, while his ability was impaired by morphine.

Passing sentence at the High Court in Paisley, Lord Reed said Wladysuik had been "totally irresponsible".

The court heard that Miss Wales, who had a six-month-old son, suffered serious injuries in the crash and slipped into a coma soon after.

She never regained consciousness and died on 5 April.

The court heard Wladysuik had been drinking heavily during the weekend prior to the day of the accident.

He understands the anger of her family towards him Defence Counsel Norman Ritchie

He had taken a variety of drugs including valium, ecstasy, cannabis and heroin on top of "a substantial quantity of alcohol".

Wladysuik, a labourer from Main Street, Glenboig, Lanarkshire, had been the boyfriend of the dead girl's sister, Julie, at the time of the accident.

The rear wheel of Wladysuik's car clipped the kerb as it was travelling at 30mph.

A normal driver would have been able to control the vehicle within two seconds, but Wladysuik showed "a complete absence of reaction".

Driver disorientated

The court heard that Wladysuik was calculated to have taken twice the amount of morphine given in hospital for pain relief.

He was said to have been so disorientated that his car careered for 30 metres in a straight line and crashed into the roundabout wall.

Wladysuik escaped uninjured and Theresa's boyfriend, Mark Adams, 17, who was in the front seat of the car suffered minor injuries.

A blood test confirmed Wladysuik had taken morphine.

'No recollection'

Lord Reed was told Wladysuik had "no clear recollection" of taking heroin prior to driving and he could not explain the levels of morphine found in his bloodstream.

Wladysuik was said to be "filled with bitter regret over the fact that he and he alone was responsible for Theresa's death".

Defence Counsel Norman Ritchie QC, told Lord Reed: "He understands the anger of her family towards him."

Passing sentence, the judge said that to drive while under the influence of drugs was "completely irresponsible".

He said Wladysuik had to face the consequences of the tragedy in which a young girl with her whole life before her had died.

Lord Reed also banned him from driving for five years.