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Repeat drink-driver who killed dad and two children is jailed for 10 years

Family members were killed while out on a Father’s Day walk

Matt Mathers
Monday 19 April 2021 21:43 BST
David Logan was pulled from the wreckage of his car slurring his words and unsteady on his feet, court heard
David Logan was pulled from the wreckage of his car slurring his words and unsteady on his feet, court heard (Cumbria Police)

A repeat drink driving offender who killed a dad and his two children in a crash while they were out on a Father's Day walk has been jailed for 10 years and 10 months.

David Logan, 47, ran over Joshua Flynn, 37, his son Coby-Jay, 15, and daughter Skylar, 12, before ploughing into a tree in Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, on 21 June last year.

All three and their pet dog Troy were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Logan was pulled from the wreckage of his Peugeot 206 slurring his speech and unsteady on his feet.

His car had mounted a curb before hitting the family, Preston Crown Court heard.

He admitted three counts of causing death by dangerous driving, one count of criminal damage relating to their Yorkshire Terrier pet and one count of driving with excess alcohol and was jailed on Monday

Logan was taken to hospital with a broken arm and his alcohol intake was determined by doing a "back calculation", which gave a reading of 141mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.

It was also the sixth time Logan had been convicted of drink-related driving offences, the court heard.

Passing sentence Mr Justice Hilliard said: "He's proceeded as though the road traffic rules simply did not apply to him.

"In continuing to drive the defendant must have known he was putting the safety of others at serious risk.

"I have no doubt the defendant must have known he should not have been driving a car at all until his condition had been diagnosed and treated."

Logan, of Broughton Road, Dalton, was also banned from driving for 16 years.

In a letter from Logan read to the court he said: "I can't apologise enough for what happened.

"I'm sorry for hurting so many people."

Emma Flynn's victim impact statement said: "I will never hear my children or husband say 'I love you' ever again.

"My husband, my kids and Troy, my dog, were brutally ripped away from me.

"It kills me to know I will never get to see my children grow up. I hold an uncontrollable amount of grief. I don't even know how to cope without them.”

Additional reporting by Press Association

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