A DANGEROUS DRINK-DRIVER who ran over a man and left him trapped underneath his car has been sent to custody.

Burnley Crown Court heard how 19-year-old Morgan Dean Williamson was twice the drink-drive limit, two-and-a-half times the cocaine limit and seven times the Benzoylecgonine (a cocaine metabolite) limit when he struck victim Jake Pollard in Hammerton Street, Burnley, at around 4.50am on June 4.

The court heard how Mr Pollard has been left with life-changing injuries, but Judge Beverley Lunt praised the life-saving actions of nightclub revellers who ran to his aid and lifted the Vauxhall Corsa off him.

Prosecuting, David Clarke said Mr Pollard had been out with friends earlier in the night and was walking to find a taxi moments before the incident happened.

Mr Clarke said: “The victim was struck very heavily from behind by a vehicle.

“He remembers being thrown up into the air, rolling down a bonnet and on to the road. He was stuck under the Corsa. He heard tyres screeching as if the driver was trying to drive away.

“He remembers feeling claustrophobic.”

CCTV footage played in court showed Williamson, of Bear Street, Burnley, jumping a red light as he came into Hammerton Street, a man having to jump out of the way as the Corsa drove at speed, the defendant swerving to avoid a taxi before Mr Pollard was struck.

It then showed a number of people running to the Corsa and lifting it up to free Mr Pollard, who miraculously managed to get to his feet.

He was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where a CT scan showed he had no internal injuries and had broken no bones.

However he did have to have skin grafts for friction burns to his arms and legs, which covered 14.5 per cent of his skin.

Mr Clarke said the victim will be left with permanent scarring as a result of his injuries.

Mr Clarke said: “When the police arrived the defendant was cautioned. He admitted being the driver.

“He said he had ruined his own life. He also admitted he had been drinking and he had been taking drugs.”

Williamson, a trainee carpenter and joiner who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, drink driving and two counts of driving with excess drugs.

Defending, James Heyworth said: “This offence and his actions in the early hours of this day in June aren’t consistent with how he would normally behave.

“Having experienced tragedy in his own family he is full of remorse and regret for what he has done.”

Judge Lunt sent Williamson to a young offenders institution for two years and eight months and banned him from driving for 28 months.

She said: “Watching those young people rush to that car and move the car physically remove it from the young man is nothing less that awe-inspiring.

“One often reads bad things about young people. In this case their actions were heroic.

“Each of them should be extraordinarily proud of what they did that day. It showed Burnley in its finest light.”

n For more crime and policing stories in East Lancashire visit lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/crime