Fatal crash driver drunk on vodka

Gytis Kakta had spent the night drinking vodka with friends

A driver who spent the night drinking vodka before crashing his car, causing the death of a woman in another vehicle, has been jailed for 18 months.

Lithuanian Gytis Kakta, 24, admitted being drunk and causing the death of Sybil Warren, 61, of Parsons Drove, Cambs, at Peterborough Crown Court.

Mrs Warren's husband, Anthony, was also injured in the crash at Thorney Toll on 8 May 2005.

Kakta's previous good character and work record were cited in mitigation.

Breathing difficulties

The maximum sentence for causing death by driving while under the influence of alcohol is 14 years.

The court heard Kakta and four friends had drunk four bottles of vodka between them.

Kakta also pleaded guilty to having no insurance, failing to stop after an accident and having two defective tyres on his car.

Sybil Warren died three days after the accident

The court heard that after the accident, Mrs Warren was taken to Peterborough District Hospital but discharged after treatment.

Two days later she was taken back to hospital with breathing difficulties and a collapsed lung was diagnosed. Mrs Warren bled to death when her lung was punctured and an artery severed during treatment.

The family is waiting for an inquest into her death before considering their legal position.

The couple's daughter Amanda Warren praised the police and said: "While we're coming to terms with the loss of our mother, and it's been a traumatic year for all her friends and the family, we'd like to express our gratitude to the police for their continued support."