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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Robert Harries & Graeme Murray

Moment driver swigged beer at the wheel before workmate was killed in horror smash

A video of the moment a driver swigged beer behind the wheel before workmate was killed in horror s smash..

It was posted on social networking site Snapchat video as Meirion Roberts and Lewis Morgan were in Roberts’ Vauxhall Corsa travelling along the A48.

Driver Roberts, quaffed lager behind the steering wheel as he drove at up to 100mph.

The car left the dual carriageway not long after in the direction of the village of Blaenau. in Wales.

WalesOnline reports that the Crown Prosecution Service released the video with with the permission of the victim's family.

Roberts, 26, then lost control of his car and crashed into a telegraph pole and a wall.

Meirion Roberts has been found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving (Wales Online)
Footage from the snapchat video showed Roberts drinking behind the wheel (Wales Online)

The vehicle landed on its roof and Lewis Morgan was killed.

Roberts of Ammanford, Wales was found guilty of death by dangerous driving this week following a trial at Swansea Crown Court.

The jury heard he had drunk at least five pints of cider at a country pub near Llandeilo in the hours before the crash.

He also drank more lager after leaving the pub, and sipped from a bottle of Coors - that he had stopped to buy from a shop as he drove away.

Meirion Roberts (Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures)

Roberts admitted he was over the limit at the time of the crash and that he was speeding, both on the A48 and through the village of Blaenau where the fatal collision occurred.

His defence barrister tried to convince the jury that the cause of the crash was a momentary lapse in concentration due to being distracted, rather than the result of excess alcohol and speeding.

The jury took just over an hour to return a unanimous guilty verdict.

Judge Christopher Vosper QC adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report and Roberts will be sentenced at a later date.

The video showed the speed he was travelling at (Wales Online)

In the days following the crash, Mr Morgan's family paid tribute to a "thoughtful, considerate and helpful young man”.

In a statement they said: "Lewis is our loving son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend and he will be missed by us all.

"Words cannot express how devastated we are by his untimely death and the overwhelming feeling of heartache and grief that we now feel.

“Lewis was a thoughtful, considerate and helpful young man, who wore his heart on his sleeve. He truly lived life to the full and loved spending quality time with his family, friends and dogs.

Lewis Morgan, from Carmarthen, who died in the crash (Dyfed-Powys Police)

“Lewis was always the life and soul of every party. We will forever cherish his infectious laughter, witty dance moves and his cheeky smile.

"Lewis lived for adventure. He relished spending time outdoors, camping and off-road biking. As a youngster, Lewis was a keen rugby player.

“We would like to thank everyone who has rushed to put their arms around us to support us at this difficult time.

"Lewis is well known in and around Carmarthen and will be greatly missed by the many people whose lives he has touched.

"We wish for Lewis to be remembered for his larger-than-life character and for being our very own firecracker.”

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