Second man jailed after Peterborough grandfather killed by drug driver

Jordan Lee, 21, was in the passenger seat of a stolen silver Saab being driven by Neville Smith, 23, when it crashed into Michael Howard, 42, in Bretton Way on the afternoon of 22 August of last year.

Mr Howard was knocked into a vehicle Smith had been tailgating and died from his injuries at the scene.

Smith, who had been taking drugs, didn’t stop driving but continued into Deerleap, where both men, and two teenage girls they has picked up earlier, abandoned the vehicle and fled.

Smith, of Elms Road, Harrow, ran into the woods where he rang the police and was arrested while Lee, of Artindale, Bretton, Peterborough, was found at his girlfriend’s house at 6pm and arrested.

Lee pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking resulting in death, and on 20 September was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and disqualified from driving for two years upon release from prison.

Smith was sentenced to six years and four months imprisonment in December after pleading guilty to numerous charges including causing death by dangerous driving.

MORE: Driver jailed after killing motorcyclist in Bretton Way, Peterborough, in stolen car before fleeing scene ‘like a coward’

Sergeant James Thorne said: “Instead of doing the right thing and stopping to give assistance, Lee and Smith chose to drive off and abandon the vehicle before fleeing the scene.

“Mr Howard’s family have been left devastated because of this selfish and illegal behaviour. I hope the sentences will deter those who think that ‘joy riding’ is harmless fun.

“It takes a matter of seconds for a situation to change and for the consequences to become fatal.”