A TEENAGE drink driver involved in an accident that killed a Good Samaritan and paralysed another, received a driving ban on Tuesday.

Scott Read, 19, of Churchill Road, Parkstone, was almost twice the drink/drive limit when he lost control of his car on the A338 Spur Road at 11pm on Wednesday March 9 this year.

He was disqualified from driving for 16 months, fined £300 and ordered to pay £43 costs after pleading guilty to driving with excess alcohol at Bournemouth Magistrates Court yesterday.

The court was told that the tragedy occurred after Read's Peugeot 206 careered off the road and overturned before coming to rest on the carriageway with no lights on.

Two vehicles stopped at the scene to help - a Citroen Xantia driven by Roger Swansborough from Bournemouth and a Mitsubishi Pajero containing Janet and Robert Anstey of Brisbane Road, Christchurch.

All three got out of their cars to assist but seconds later Read's car was hit by a seven-and-a-half ton truck.

Mrs Anstey was killed outright when she was hit by one of the vehicles. Mr Swansborough who was also hit, suffered horrific injuries and is now paralysed from the neck down Bournemouth Magistrates Court heard.

Mr and Mrs Anstey were returning from a trip to Holland to see their daughter and two grandchildren and were celebrating their 38 wedding anniversary.

When asked afterwards if he wanted to say sorry for his part in the tragedy a jaunty Read replied: "I'm fine. Cheers anyway."

He added: "It's up to people what they think".

Bournemouth Magistrates Court heard that tests showed Read had 139 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of blood at the time of the accident - one and three quarter times over the alcohol limit.

Read, who works in telemarketing, told police that he had drunk two pints of Stella at a Ringwood pub as he celebrated his father's birthday.

He said he remembered driving away from the pub but that the rest of his memory of that evening was a blank.

Defence, Simon Jones, said that Read was "devastated" about what had happened and has had to see a psychologist following the incident.

He said: "He deeply regrets what happened. He wishes he could turn back the clock. He's been undergoing counselling for several months.

"He told police everything he could."

Speaking at his home last night Mr Anstey said: "I've lived a nightmare for about six and a half months and only just started facing up to it really. But I've had my family around me.

"He's killed my wife but there is no point getting all bitter and twisted. I don't want to spend the rest of my life thinking about him and what he has done to my wife and my family."

First published: October 12