A MAN wept in court as he was sent to prison for killing a mother-of-one and seriously injuring a second passenger in a car crash. 

Catalin Busila, 22, from Romania but living at Church Passage, Bridgwater, was speeding to work in an uninsured and untaxed car when he crashed into the wall of a property on St Michael’s Road in Creech St Michael around 5.20am on Wednesday, October 5, 2016.

Young mother Nicoleta Sabau died in hospital after suffering a brain haemorrhage in the collision.

Bridgwater Mercury:

(The scene of the car crash in Creech St Michael)

A second passenger, Nicursor Purcel, suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, had to have his spleen removed and was unconscious for a week. Neither passenger was wearing a seatbelt, Taunton Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting Nikki Coombes said: “Busila purchased the car just the week before and he had not had it insured or taxed.

Bridgwater Mercury:

JAILED: Catalin Busila

“The car crashed into a wall of a property on the road and one of the occupants heard a screeching of tyres and a loud bang.

“She went outside with a torch, saw the car had collided with the wall and caused serious damage, and all three passengers were unconscious,” Ms Coombes said.

Nicoleta Sabau was struggling to breathe and Mr Purcel was in serious pain, police and ambulance arrived and the two were taken to Musgrove Park Hospital.

“The investigators said it was apparent from the tyre marks that the car was across the central marking, and spun before colliding with the wall.

“The experts predict the car was travelling at between 45mph and 47mph on a road that has a 30mph speed limit,” Ms Coombes said.

She read out a brief victim impact statement from Nicoleta’s husband which said: “The tragedy he has caused is inexplicable. We have grief in our hearts and our seven-year-old daughter will now grow up without a mother.”

In mitigation Patrick Mason said Busila was an industrious young man who was remorseful for what he had done.

“He is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and is being bullied in prison,” Mr Mason said. 

“He has a Romanian driving licence but standards are different there. There are higher levels of fatalities and a lower proportion of people wear seatbelts.

“Busila only suffered minor physical injuries but is suffering mentally and will for some time.”

Sentencing, Judge David Evans said: “You are a 22-year-old Romanian national and have been here for 18 months.

“You had been driving into work at Creech St Michael and transporting your two friends from Romania along this route for some time before this incident.

“But on October 5, you should not have been driving that car on any road. You had bought it just a few days before, you knew it was not taxed and you were not insured to drive it.

“There is not any mitigation for bad conditions, the condition of the road surface or state of the vehicle – you are entirely to blame and the consequences of your illegal driving were appalling.”

Busila was sentenced to 30 months in jail for causing death by dangerous driving, and 15 months concurrently for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.