Hadleigh: Drink driver who admitted serious collision has been jailed for 30 months

On the evening of Thursday 2 May 2024, the driver of a red BMW was travelling on the A129, towards Hadleigh, when it collided with a VW Jetta at the roundabout with London Road.

The BMW driver continued without stopping and as he crossed the central reservation on the A13 in Hadleigh, he collided with 2 other cars.

He then abandoned the car and his passenger and ran away.

The driver of a VW Polo, a woman in her 20s, and her young child, were taken hospital after both suffering serious injuries.

Whilst officers carried out enquiries in London Road, the driver returned to the scene and identified himself as Sean Kirkham. He failed a breathalyser test and was immediately arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and drink driving.

CCTV enquiries captured the red BMW speeding in the lead-up to the collision.
Following an investigation by our Roads Policing Unit, Sean Kirkham of Longtown Road, Brampton, Cumbria appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court on 18 November 2023 where he pleaded guilty to all four charges.
He was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Monday 14 January.

In total, Sean Kirkham was jailed for 30 months for two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and ordered to pay £4000.00 compensation alongside costs.

Furthermore, he was banned from driving for 39 months for drink driving and failing to stop after a collision and will be required to re-sit his test.

PC Adem Harman said:

Drink driving is against the law, and we will always take robust action to bring a perpetrator before the courts, so that we can keep roads safe.
Alcohol affects your judgement – you may feel safe to drive, but you’re not.
It affects your judgement and slows your responses, meaning you cannot respond to changing road conditions.
Other people should not be affected by your poor and dangerous driving.

Help us reduce road collisions and casualties in Essex and make our roads even safer. Report instances of poor and dangerous driving through Safer Essex Roads Partnership's Extra Eyes initiative.

More than ever, irresponsible, dangerous and illegal road behaviour is being recorded by road users. Through Extra Eyes this footage can be sent to, and reviewed by, an investigator within Road Policing at Essex Police.

Find out how by visiting Safer Essex Roads Partnership website.

We're offering more ways for our communities to stay up to date with our work across Essex.

Our e-newsletter, Dispatch, delivers news, information, and advice from Essex Police.

Dispatch is a ‘one stop shop’ for local police news – direct from the source. 

Sign up is completely free and you can unsubscribe at any time.