A speeding driver who killed his partner in a crash on the A470 near Rhayader in Powys has been jailed. David Owen, 35, from Caersws, was driving a BMW at 57mph in a 40mph zone when it crashed in December 2024, killing Charlotte Beynon, 29, from Burry Port.
Crash details
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard that on December 3, 2024, the couple had just left a 20mph zone and were in a 40mph zone when Owen accelerated. The vehicle hit a kerb and a wall before landing on its side. Police determined the car was travelling at 57mph at the time of the crash.
Staff at Simon Price Cars, opposite the collision, heard a loud bang and rushed to help. A passing nurse also assisted at the roadside while Charlotte was trapped in the car and asking for help. Owen had got out of the vehicle and was on his phone and lighting a cigarette, saying he was unsure what had happened.
Victim impact
Charlotte was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales but died from her injuries six days later on December 9. Owen, who had a previous conviction for dangerous driving aged 17, suffered a fractured nose and spine and was discharged from hospital in Hereford a few days later without requiring surgery.
Charlotte's mother, Maxine Beynon, read out a victim impact statement in court. "We always knew how blessed we were having Charlotte in our lives," she said. "It is so difficult to compute that my beautiful daughter, a young woman so full of life and potential, is no longer here."
Separate drug driving conviction
Owen was under investigation for causing Charlotte's death when he was convicted for a separate case of drug driving. He was stopped by police in Llandrindod Wells on January 11 this year after being spotted in a white Skoda and was later found to have cocaine and cannabis in his system. A blood test showed he had 39 micrograms per litre of blood of cocaine – the legal limit is 10mg/l – and 4.4mg/l of THC, when the legal limit is 2mg/l.
Georgia Donohue, defending, said Owen had shown "genuine remorse" and would live with the guilt for the rest of his life. Although he had only been with Charlotte for 10 months, he considered her the love of his life.
Sentence
Judge Jeremy Jenkins sentenced Owen to 12 months in prison for causing death by careless driving and two months for drug driving, to run concurrently, making a total of 14 months. He will serve up to half of that in custody before being released on licence. The judge also disqualified Owen from driving for three years and seven months after his release, and he will only be allowed back on the roads once he passes an extended driving test.
