Christmas party drink driver jailed for Lincoln teens' death

A drunk driver has been jailed for seven years for killing two teenagers when he smashed into their car on his way home from a Christmas party.

Matthew Jacobs, 26, spent six hours drinking with work colleagues in Lincoln before the fatal crash.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Jacobs crashed into the back of a car parked in a lay by on the A46.

He killed Alexander Ross and Sian Chambers, both 19, who were asleep in the back of the stationary vehicle.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said the force of the impact was so great the length of the teenager's estate card was "reduced by two metres".

Jacobs was found by a passing motorist with his head in his hands and immediately said "I'm going to prison".

Moments later he fled from the scene on foot. Police used a drone and a helicopter to search for him and he was picked up four hours later close to his home.

He subsequently failed a breath test and six hours after the collision was almost twice over the legal limit producing a reading of 63 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of breath compared to the legal limit of 35 mgs.

Jacobs of Lindholme Road, Lincoln, admitted two charges of causing death by dangerous driving as a result of the collision on 22 December 2018.

Passing sentence, Judge Andrew Easteal said: "The decision you took that night to drive when completely incapable of doing so is one for which you are wholly responsible."

The court was told that Mr Ross and Ms Chambers were both talented double bassists, who had played with local and national orchestras.

In a victim impact statement Charles Ross, the father of Alexander, said the lives of himself and Alexander's mother Jacqueline had been completely devastated by his death.

David Chambers, the father of Sian, said "She had so much to live for. Her future has been stolen from her as has Alex's.

"We now have to come to terms with the fact that our daughter, sister and granddaughter is never coming home again."