Drug-driver from Uckfield killed one person and seriously injured two others

A drug-driver who killed one person and seriously injured two others in a head-on collision has been jailed.

Niall O’Malley was driving his black Audi S3 when – for reasons unknown – he veered onto the wrong side of the road and into the path of an oncoming car.

The incident occurred on the A26 at Ringmer around 7.25pm on 26 May, 2024.

The driver of the Peugeot 2008 involved – a woman from Uckfield – tragically died from her injuries in hospital four days later. She was 28.

Her partner and front seat passenger – a 30-year-old man from Uckfield – was able to extract himself from the vehicle but sustained serious injuries.

O’Malley also sustained serious injuries, as did his front seat passenger – a 24-year-old woman from Uckfield.

While in hospital, a blood sample was taken from O’Malley which confirmed he had 2.9 microgrammes of cannabis per litre of blood in his system. The legal limit is 2 microgrammes.

The 30-year-old, of Nevill Road, Uckfield, was subsequently charged with causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed limit for cannabis, and two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving.

He pleaded guilty to all offences and appeared before Hove Crown Court on Friday 28 November, where he was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and disqualified from driving for 89 months.

His Honour Judge Gold commented that there was a “brief but avoidable distraction” resulting in O’Malley crossing into the opposing carriageway and colliding with another car, and that the “consequences were tragic”. The Judge said that the sentence would have been eight years, but he reduced it due to O’Malley’s early guilty plea.

Acting Detective Inspector Rob Baldwin, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This incident is yet another tragic example that drugs and driving do not mix. No matter how competent a driver you think you may be, it is clear that illegal drugs such as cannabis can significantly impair your ability to drive safely, and can stay in your system for much longer than alcohol does.

“Getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drink or drugs is irresponsible enough, but it’s even more irresponsible to take other people in the car with you. Their life is effectively in your hands.

“Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of the young woman killed as a result of O’Malley’s carelessness, and with the two other victims who have been left with devastating injuries and the trauma that comes with it.

“They have all shown tremendous strength in assisting us in our investigation to bring justice against the defendant.”