Family drive ended in horror

It began as a normal Sunday afternoon drive - a devoted family taking a trip to McDonald's before heading to their respectable semi-detached Wolverhampton home.

But as Maxine Leigh drove her husband Martin and their two young children Nathan and Jake back to Penn, their lives were ripped apart in the most appalling of circumstances.

Drunk driver Stephen Taylor hurtled towards the family's Skoda Superb car at up to 80mph in his van while the former Beatties beautician carefully negotiated her way out into Coalway Road, a manoeuvre she had done hundreds of times before.

Taylor's van flipped on to its roof due to the force of the impact and the Leigh's car smashed into a wall on the opposite side of the road.

The 43-year-old was killed instantly, her two young children left without a mother.

Both Nathan, now aged 12, and Jake, aged nine, were in the car at the time and managed to escape from the mangled wreckage with minor injuries.

Maxine's devoted husband Martin, aged 46, suffered a bruised lung and whiplash in the tragedy.

Tragically the family were just minutes from home at the time.

Frantic residents rushed to the aid of former Ely School pupil Maxine as drunk and uninsured driver Taylor, uninjured in the smash, incredibly began ranting and demanding to know who had pulled out in front of him.

Staggering and with the smell of stale beer on his breath, he called a friend to tell them: "I've had a drink, it's bad."

The 43-year-old initially refused to admit his part in the crash, pleading not guilty to a charge of death by dangerous driving for nearly a year.

To add to their anguish, the family were tormented by Taylor, who was today starting a nine-year jail sentence, pinning the blame on Maxine. He dramatically changed his plea to guilty just days before his trial was due to begin earlier this month.

Michelle Heeley, prosecuting, told the court yesterday how witnesses saw Taylor's "extraordinarily fast" driving. She added after the smash he was overheard on a phone call saying: "I've had a drink, it's bad."

Speaking after the sentence, Martin Leigh said: "I am pleased with the sentence. I wanted him to admit what he had done and clear Maxine's name. It is a big step now the sentence is over and now we may be able to draw a line under it and try and get on with our lives."

By Victoria Nash