Drink driver lied at scene of crash after causing…

Drink driver lied at scene of crash after causing death of young carer

A drink driver killed a young carer in an accident after doing the same thing to a passenger in his car 14 years ago. Matthew Plimmer was branded a danger to the public for offences of driving.

He was even subject to a 20-month driving ban for drink-driving when he ploughed into latest victim Jessica Drury, 25, of Bulwell, who had been properly driving her Fiat Punto. Nottingham Crown Court heard on Friday (November 11) Plimmer was witnessed by a bar worker downing two pints and five Sambucas earlier in the evening at a local pub.

Later, in his Audi Q7, he veered into Jessica's lane in Southwell Road, Oxton, on January 19 this year, hitting her car head-on, and causing multiple injuries. She died at the scene.

Plimmer, 35, of Raylawn Street, Mansfield, then lied at the scene to witnesses he was not the driver of the Audi, as he was disqualified from driving on December 2, 2021, for 20 months, after he was caught drink-driving.

He also said he had a "couple of pints" and claimed his friend was driving, and had left and gave his name as "James". People who stopped at the scene went to help Jessica, including a nurse, a doctor, a psychiatrist and of couple of members from the armed forces.

The nurse said the road was "quite bendy", with no artificial light. She drove at 40mph in a 50 mph limit and came across the collision. Plimmer told her he did not know what had happened and "my mate was driving and he just ran off".

She asked Plimmer what "have you hit?" and his response was, "I don't know...I don't think there was another car". Plimmer failed a road side breath test and was arrested. DNA proved he was the driver of the car.

A blood sample was back-calculated, and showed he had 100 milligrams of alcohol in blood, with 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood being the limit.

He was convicted previously of causing death by dangerous driving after he was convicted at Luton Crown Court. The offence was in 2006 and Plimmer was driving without insurance or an MOT at excess speeds. He lost control and crashed, leaving his passenger injured fatally.

Guilty pleas were entered today (Friday, November 11) to causing death by driving whilst disqualified and causing death by careless driving whilst over the drink drive limit on January 19, 2022. He previous admitted disqualified driving.

Plimmer's headline sentence was nine years, with three years on an extended period on licence on his release. He has been banned from driving for life.