Man sentenced for causing death of colleague by crashing into him after they had been out drinking

Carl Sargeant, 45, of Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, at Birmingham Crown Court today (December 13) after he was previously found guilty of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to take an extended retest if he intends to drive again, to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and to pay a surcharge of £1,200.

Sargeant and other colleagues joined Martyn Ball for a drink at a pub in Stone after finishing a shift working as security staff on Monday, August 29, 2022.

At about 3.40am, the group left the pub to set off home. Sargeant was driving a LDV Maxus van and Mr Ball was riding a blue Yamaha motorbike.

Sargeant ignored the one-way road and took a shortcut onto Newcastle Road. When he joined the A34, he collided with Mr Ball’s motorbike near to Winghouse Lane in Tittensor, sending him into the central reservation.

Mr Ball, who was 30 at the time, died in hospital on September 4 as a result of his injuries.

At the time, his family said: "Martyn lived life to the full and was loved by many. He was always happy and a ray of light in everyone's lives who knew him.”

Sergeant Rich Moors, from Staffordshire Police's serious collision investigation unit, said: “My thoughts and condolences are still very much with Mr Ball’s family following the conclusion of this investigation today.

“This goes to show how much poor driving can devastate families and the lives of those involved.

“Officers across Staffordshire are working hard each and every day to target those putting themselves and others at risk on our road networks as proactively and effectively as possible.”