Moment drink-driver gets behind the wheel before killing man, 25

Moment ‘blind as a bat’ disqualified drink-driver gets behind the wheel before killing church volunteer, 25, in horror crash after all-day boozing session – as he is jailed for 11 years

• A drunk driver was caught on CCTV barely able to walk before a fatal crash 
• Ryan McElroy, 35 had been drinking all day before killed Louis Dube, 25 

Horrifying footage showing a ‘blind as a bat’ drunk driver who killed a student in a horror crash wandering to his car after boozing all day.

Jailed Ryan McElroy, 35, had been drinking all day on December 5 last year and was caught on CCTV blindly waddling from his father’s flat using the wall for support.

He then got behind the wheel before crashing into a vehicle and killing church volunteer 25-year-old Louis Dube.

At Manchester Crown Court, the female driver, 30, said there had been no warning explaining: ‘It was like the DeLorean out of Back To The Future. It appeared in the middle of the road… like it was out of thin air.’

The court heard McElroy’s Vauxhall Insignia was travelling between 49mph and 60mph at the time of the crash on December 5 last year.

Ryan McElroy has been jailed for 11 years for the shocking act of drunk driving 

Louis Dube was tragically killed after McElroy’s car ploughed into the vehicle he was riding in

Both the driver and Mr Dube were left with multiple serious injuries. Mr Dube sadly died four days later on December 9. 

McElroy was also treated for minor injuries at the scene, and initially gave a false name and claimed ‘Dave from Broughton’ had driven the car. 

He has since pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving; causing serious injury by dangerous driving; and driving while disqualified.

Yesterday (Feb 9), McElroy was jailed for 11 years and four months. 

Philip Hall, prosecuting, told the Mr Dube was studying for a Master’s degree in human resources and leadership in Christianity at the time of his death. 

Mr Dube had been sleeping in the backseat of his friend’s Vauxhall Crossland after returning home from a function when McElroy, who was more than three times the drink-drive limit, crashed into the vehicle on Mount Road, Gorton, east Manchester. 

He cared passionately about others, the court heard. At around 9pm, McElroy drove to his dad’s house, despite previously being banned from the road for drink-driving and only holding a provisional licence. 

He was seen on CCTV carrying a bag of booze and had also taken prescribed diazepam, Mr Hall said.

Mr Hall said: ‘He arrived at the flat and said he had been drinking all day and continued to drink a significant amount of alcohol. At one point he was pouring just neat spirits into a glass. 

‘After two-and-a-half hours he got up and left the flat without warning.’

McElroy’s dad described him as being ‘blind as a bat’ and ‘not in any fit state to be doing anything’. 

Mr Hall added: ‘He said: ‘I don’t trust him behind the wheel.” 

A drunk McElroy could barely walk as he made his way to the car

He had had 276 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood – the legal limit is 80

In jaw dropping footage played to the court, a clearly inebriated McElroy can be seen  staggering along the corridor and falling into walls before eventually making it to the outer door.

‘My heart breaks for you – you have lost Ryan to a prison cell’: Mother of church volunteer, 25, says she forgives drink-driver who killed her son

Mr Dube’s mother, Nompi, said in her victim impact statement: ‘Louis was not only my son, but he was also my best friend, my mentor and the spiritual giant of our house.

‘I now have a hole in my heart that no-one will ever fill. 

‘When I sit and talk about Louis, I now have to live with the fact that I will never see him again. I will never see him married or have children of his own. I now have this persistent, intense yearning and sadness. 

‘I miss Louis so much. There is no break, every day in my mind there is a repeat, a record player of the insistent troubling thoughts and images of my son lying in a hospital bed, unconscious. 

‘I felt so helpless, I wanted to take his place, but I couldn’t. 

‘I would like to say to Ryan’s family that I hope you too can help Ryan find a meaningful purpose for his life; I sincerely release my pain of losing Louis through forgiveness. 

‘My heart breaks for you because you have lost him to a prison cell; I am deeply sorry for your loss.’ 

It took him 30 seconds to operate the door opening mechanism after he had stumbled around the car park in search of his vehicle, before opening it multiple times and struggling to get into the driver’s seat.  

 Meanwhile, the Crossland carrying Mr Dube stopped briefly at a junction and a passenger got out. 

The female driver then attempted a three-point-turn. Moments later, the car was hit side-on, sending it 26 metres down the road at speeds of up to 20mph. 

A collision expert concluded there was ‘no evidence’ the Insignia had attempted to brake and found it was travelling at between 49mph and 60mph at the time. 

Sadly Mr Dube suffered very serious and ‘unsurvivable’ injuries and his life support was sadly switched off on December 9. 

McElroy was later taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary. A blood sample was taken. He had 276 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrams, the court heard. 

Mr Dube’s mother, Nompi, said in her victim impact statement: ‘Louis was not only my son, but he was also my best friend, my mentor and the spiritual giant of our house.

‘I now have a hole in my heart that no-one will ever fill. 

‘When I sit and talk about Louis, I now have to live with the fact that I will never see him again. I will never see him married or have children of his own. I now have this persistent, intense yearning and sadness. 

‘I miss Louis so much. There is no break, every day in my mind there is a repeat, a record player of the insistent troubling thoughts and images of my son lying in a hospital bed, unconscious. 

‘I felt so helpless, I wanted to take his place, but I couldn’t. 

‘I would like to say to Ryan’s family that I hope you too can help Ryan find a meaningful purpose for his life; I sincerely release my pain of losing Louis through forgiveness. 

‘My heart breaks for you because you have lost him to a prison cell; I am deeply sorry for your loss.’ 

McElroy has 39 previous convictions for 61 offences, including driving while disqualified; aggravated vehicle-taking; and being drunk and disorderly.

Adrian Palmer, mitigating, said McElroy accepted ‘there [was] no mitigation’.

Mr Palmer said: ‘If he could turn back the clock he would, but he can’t do anything now. It’s clear he accepts full responsibility, his remorse is genuine, his regret is genuine. ‘

Sentencing, Judge Patrick Field KC said it was clear that Mr Dube was a ‘good and compassionate man who cared deeply about others’. 

Judge Field said: ‘He had a bright and fulfilling life ahead of him and he had those opportunities taken away from him.

‘Your own father described that he was amazed when you arrived [earlier] that you were able to stand up. After two-and-a-half hours you left and drove away – obviously, you were very, very drunk at that point. 

‘There is no doubt this was a most serious case of dangerous driving. It was a prolonged, persistent and deliberate course of very bad driving.’ 

McElroy was jailed for 11 years and four months. He will serve two-thirds of his sentence in prison before he will be released on licence. He was also banned from driving for twelve-and-a-half years. 

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