Driver jailed after swigging Bollinger Champagne behind wheel of work van
8 February 2022, 21:03 | Updated: 8 February 2022, 21:07
Man drinks champagne and uses mobile phone whilst driving van
A man has been jailed after he was captured swigging a £40 bottle of Champagne whilst driving his work van.
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Mason James Cowgill was handed an eight month sentence after an in-cab camera caught him drinking Bollinger Champagne, calling his friends and rolling a cigarette whilst driving.
The 27-year-old drove along the A65 near Ingleton before crashing into the back of a car which was stationary in traffic, in June last year.
The car was damaged in the collision however no-one sustained any injuries.
Cowgill and the car driver exchanged details, but Cowgill left the scene before officers arrived, continuing with his journey while making more phone calls to friends at the wheel and almost causing another collision.
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Following Cowgill reporting the collision to his boss (the owner of the van), and the in-cab footage was reviewed.
Cowgill was sacked and the footage was brought to the attention of the police.
The Gargrave resident, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in court, where he was also Disqualified for a period of 32 months including an extended retest.
Commenting on the incident PC Babs Parsons, said: "Cowgill is lucky he did not kill or seriously injure someone that day.
"The manner in which he drove demonstrated a clear danger to other road users and I’m amazed he did not cause any more collisions.
"This was not a momentary lapse in concentration, this is a sustained period in which Cowgill paid very little or no attention at all to the road and was clearly not in control of the van he was driving.
"I thank the owner of the van for bringing this footage to our attention as it has enabled us to take a very dangerous driver off the road."
