A man convicted of seriously injuring a lifelong friend through drunk driving has been sentenced to six months behind bars.

John Wardman, 29, of Paget, was earlier convicted by a jury of causing a crash that seriously injured friend Alex Doyle while driving over the legal alcohol limit, drink driving and failing to provide Mr Doyle with the necessaries of life.

Prosecuting counsel Victoria Greening told the court during his trial that Wardman was driving home with his brother Christopher Wardman and Mr Doyle after a night’s drinking in Hamilton.

The car struck two walls on Harbour Road and Manse Road on December 27, 2010, before coming to a halt, leaving Mr Doyle, who was travelling in the back seat, with bleeding in his brain and multiple skull fractures.

Tow truck driver Keith Richardson happened by the scene of the crash, where he said two men had asked him to tow the damaged car to a nearby housing estate. While looking at the damage to the vehicle he noticed Mr Doyle bleeding profusely in the back seat and called for an ambulance.

Wardman elected not to take the stand during his trial but told the court during a sentencing hearing on Monday that he didn’t speak to Mr Richardson, and both he and his brother had begun tending to Mr Doyle immediately after the collision.

“I can say without any doubt that had we known Alex was injured as badly as he was, we would have screamed for help and knocked on every door,” he told the court.

He added he had declined to take the stand in his own defence because he did not want to give evidence about who was driving the car that night.

Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons said the offences that Wardman were convicted of were serious, and there was no evidence put before the court to suggest he had attempted to provide care to Mr Doyle while Mr Richardson was present.

She told the defendant that he had shown disregard for the rules of the road and, by driving while more than two-and-a-half times over the blood-alcohol limit, impaired motor skills and judgement were inevitable.

However, in mitigation, she also acknowledged that Wardman had no previous convictions for either traffic or criminal offences. Mrs Justice Simmons also said Wardman had shown legitimate remorse, apologised to Mr Doyle and had forsworn drinking and driving.

Given all of the circumstances, she sentenced Wardman to six months in prison for causing grievous bodily harm by driving over the blood-alcohol limit, with time already served taken into account, and banned him from driving all vehicles for three years.

Regarding the offence of failing to provide Mr Doyle with the necessaries of life, she said the charge had been unusual given the brief period of time in which Wardman failed to assist Mr Doyle. She sentenced Wardman to 30 days in prison, with that term running concurrently with the grievous bodily harm sentence.

And Mrs Justice Simmons further fined Wardman $1,000 for both driving while over the legal blood-alcohol limit and driving while impaired.

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