A drunk driver who killed a cyclist while speeding at more than double the limit, then bought vodka in a bid to cover his tracks, has been jailed for 11 years. James O'Donnell, 35, of Cypress Road, Huyton, struck 63-year-old Keith Hornby on Tarbock Road, Huyton, at around 12.20pm on March 5 last year.
Mr Hornby, a full-time carer for his 90-year-old mother, was cycling towards the junction with Manley Road when O'Donnell's black Volkswagen ID5 hit him from behind at 63mph in a 30mph zone. The victim suffered catastrophic injuries and died at the scene. CCTV footage played at Liverpool Crown Court showed the collision and O'Donnell leaving the scene.
After the crash, O'Donnell drove to a side street, returned briefly to the scene, then continued without stopping, crashing into a parked Ford. He abandoned the car and called his girlfriend's mother, saying: 'Come and get me, I've hit a cyclist and the car is f***ed.' He then bought two small bottles of vodka from a shop in a 'deliberate and cynical' attempt to disguise his drink-driving.
O'Donnell was arrested 20 to 30 minutes later and gave a breath test showing 99mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, nearly three times the legal limit. He initially pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving but changed his plea in November. He also admitted drink driving and failing to stop.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Hornby's mother Beryl said: 'March 5 is the day I lost my son, and this day will be engraved in my mind until I die.' O'Donnell, who had no previous convictions, expressed remorse in a letter to the court, saying: 'I fully accept that nothing I say will ever undo the pain caused to the family.' He was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
