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Delivery driver jailed for fatal drink-driving crash

Paul ColganBBC News NI
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John Taggart received a six year sentence for causing the death of Paul Marshall

A delivery driver who admitted causing the death of a 70-year-old pedestrian while almost three-and-a-half times the legal alcohol limit has been jailed.

John Taggart from Torrens Link received a six year sentence at Belfast Crown Court on Friday.

The 36-year-old was driving a van that struck Paul Marshall in west Belfast in September 2024.

Marshall died six days later in hospital having suffered serious injuries including a skull fracture.

At an earlier court hearing, Taggart admitted causing the pedestrian's death and pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

In his summing up, Judge Neil Rafferty KC said the alcohol consumed by Taggart had been a significant aggravating factor.

He said Taggart, who was working as a delivery driver when the incident happened, had been drinking heavily until about 04:30 GMT, before getting little sleep ahead of his shift a few hours later.

The judge also said Taggart had been drinking from a bottle found in the van that contained 15% vodka before the collision happened.

This showed a "grotesque disregard for the safety of other road users", the judge added.

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Paul Marshall, 70, died a week after being hit by a van at the the Millfield junction area of Belfast

After viewing CCTV and dashcam footage Judge Rafferty said he was satisfied the road manoeuvre by Taggart that led to the collision was unnecessary and highly dangerous.

Taggart's van mounted a traffic island at Millfield junction and struck traffic poles which then fell on Marshall.

Taggart claimed he had swerved to avoid another vehicle that had moved without indicating.

Judge Rafferty said this was a manoeuvre that happened 100 times a day on the roads and that by simply slowing down Taggart could have prevented an accident.

The judge said he had made an "impossible manoeuvre" and there was not the room to do it.

'Serious sense of loss'

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The judge read out personal victim statements from Paul Marshall's family.

Judge Rafferty said he did not accept Taggart's claim he was unaware he was consuming alcohol contained in the bottle found in the van.

He sentenced Taggart to six years, with three years to be spent in custody and three years of statutory supervision.

He was banned from driving for seven years.

The judge read out personal victim statements from Marshall's family.

Marshall's sister Deirdre spoke of a "very serious sense of loss" and said a massive part of her heart had gone with his death.

She said she often passes the spot where the collision happened and imagines him standing there waiting to cross and it makes her "sick to her stomach".

Judge Rafferty said Marshall had arrived at a quiet place of routine peace in his life and this had sadly been taken away from him.

He described the family's statements as deeply moving.