A12 crash was caused by man who ‘had his life before him’, judge says

Drink driver Nicholas Sparkes was sentenced to a jail term of five years and four months when he appeared in Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday. When police were investigating the incident, Sparkes gave a no comment interview which, though permitted, slowed down the investigation of the police's complex investigation according to Judge Christopher Morgan. But the judge acknowledged Sparkes, who panicked after the incident and drove for a further four and a half miles whilst the bonnet obscured his view, had shown remorse in the aftermath of the incident that killed Marcin Zabicki.

He said: "You have no previous convictions of any sort [and] you are a young man who had his life before him - there's nothing in the references that can dispute that. "Remorse is an important feature and I have considered that." He continued: "This is a tragedy for both of you - more so for those who knew and no doubt loved Mr Zabicki.

"You made, as you now recognise, a terrible decision having consumed an excessive amount of alcohol; you decided you were going to get into your car and drive - that [decision] has ruined your life." Missed - Marcin Zabicki had been driving back to Colchester to look after his young daughter, having recently finished a shift at a warehouse in Chelmsford (Image: Essex Police) Sparkes, of Blickling Close, Ipswich, had been returning from a night out in Latchingdon, Maldon, and was driving in a Volkswagen Golf on the A12 towards Ipswich at 4.40am on Saturday, September 3 of last year.

At the same time, 46-year-old Marcin Zabicki was travelling on his motorbike between Marks Tey and Stanway, having earlier finished a shift at an Aldi warehouse in Chelmsford. The court heard how he had been on his way to an ex-partner's address so he could look after his young daughter. Sparkes, who was calculated to have had 92 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath at the time of the incident, failed to respond in time when Mr Zabicki braked suddenly.

The court heard how the 46-year-old would have been catapulted over the roof of Sharpes's car; but instead of stopping at the scene, Sparkes panicked and drove on, despite his bonnet being propped up and obscuring his view.

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