People have called for tougher sentences after a "kind-hearted" dad died in a head on crash with a drink driver.
William Ludlow, 65, was enjoying a day out with his partner in Wirral when drink driver Andrew Stinchcomb drove his BMW 3 Series into the opposite lane and smashed into his car at speed. Mr Ludlow, originally from Anfield and living in Seaforth, was airlifted to hospital with critical injuries but died two days later.
Stinchcomb told police at the scene that he had been "drinking spirits", and was found to be more than double the limit when tested six hours after the smash on Willaston Road in Neston on July 26 2021. He was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, January 4, for 56 months after admitting causing death by careless driving, and banned from driving for six years and four months.
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Since sharing the story, ECHO readers have paid tribute Mr Ludlow and sent condolences to his family.
Lisa Sweeney said: "Sending big love, hugs, caring thoughts to gorgeous family. R.I.P heavenly Angel William god bless and pray." Ruth Strong added: "Rest in peace, god bless, my thoughts and prayers are with your family at this sad time."
People were also shocked at the sentence given to Stichcomb for his offences. Carolynn Cummins also said: "Life should mean life. Thinking of the poor man's family."
Margaret While added: "Should never be allowed to drive ever again."
Speaking to the ECHO after the sentencing, Mr Ludlow's son Tom, 34, said "I was absolutely devastated.
"I was hoping for a minimum of seven years. I'm not cruel - everyone's got family, everyone's goes through mental health, but at the end of the day he drank [twice] the limit and he shouldn't have been in that car and my dad would have been alive today."
Paying tribute to his dad, who had recently retired from his job as a computer programmer, Tom described him as a "happy go lucky fella."
He said: "He was an IT nerd, always behind a computer desk. He was a very smart person. He had a degree in Maths.
"He loved to have a pint, he was into his real ales. He was a member of CAMRA [Campaign for Real Ale]. He was a lovely, kind-hearted bloke and he wouldn't hurt a fly. He loved all of us to bits."
Tom said his message to anybody thinking of getting behind the wheel after having a drink would be: "It's not worth anybody's life to drink and drive. It's completely destroyed our family.
"My little girls are five and six and they still ask about grandad Bill. My eldest daughter is 13 and she had the biggest bond with my dad - he's like a big teddy bear. She loved him to bits."
Stinchcombe - who has no previous convictions - had a flat tyre on the front nearside of his car, while one of his rear tyres was also found to be underinflated. The vehicle had "been driven for some distance" in this condition.
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