Incident happened in 2024
A driver who crashed a car while under the influence of cocaine - leaving one passenger trapped in the vehicle - has been jailed.
Benjamin Convery, 29, was driving a Silver Subaru following a party and lost control while heading northbound on Jurby Road, crashing the vehicle at about 03:50 on on 26 December 2024.
The court heard Convery, of Close Drean, in Ramsey, stayed at the scene and was assisting a female passenger, but when emergency services arrived he denied being the driver.
Jailing him for two years and six months after he admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, Deemster Graeme Cook said Convery's driving had become "quite erratic" and was at "excessive speeds".
The court heard passengers had told Convery to slow down, with one later telling police he was "driving like a lunatic".
As Convery lost control of the car, it crashed into the wall of someone's driveway, before hitting a grass bank and bouncing back onto the carriageway.
One passenger, who had been trapped in the vehicle and had to be cut out, had injuries including a fractured femur and tibia, while the female passenger sitting in the back was not seriously injured, the court heard.
Convery initially told emergency services he was not the driver and they had fled the scene.
Suspicion grew as he changed his story about where he met the unknown driver and a roadside drug wipe returned a positive result for cocaine, showing he was five times over the legal limit, the prosecutor told the court.
He was arrested at the scene and his DNA was subsequently found on the driver's airbag.
In a victim impact statement, the passenger who was seriously injured said he could not walk for three weeks after the crash and could now only walk for 15 minutes with the help of a stick before the pain became "unbearable".
The crash had "altered my life completely," he continued, adding he was now nervous to get into any vehicle.
Convery pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and driving while under the influence of drugs.
He was also disqualified from driving for seven years, and must take an extended driving test before going behind the wheel on public roads again.
Warning over flare disposal after amenity site fire
Suspended sentence for 56-year-old in cannabis supply case
Owner of a block of flats fined for failing to meet fire safety regulations
Review of taxi fares extended to assess impact of Middle East conflict
