A DRUG dealer from Abingdon will spend at least 16 weeks in prison after causing the death of an 83-year-old man by careless driving.

David Lee Smith, 35, of Hogarth Place, hit grandfather Raymond Martinon April 28, Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Smith, who is now serving an eight-month sentence for possessing cannabis with intent to supply, was on his way to buy milk.

He hit Mr Martin as he crossed the junction of Gainsborough Green and Reynolds Way, Abingdon. As soon as the crash happened at 8.15pm, father-of-four Smith jumped out of his Ford Galaxy to see if Mr Smith was ok, then called 999. At first, he was conscious, and said he wanted to go home, but he was taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe hospital with cuts and bruising. He died there on May 8 with a suspected brain injury.

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Judge Patrick Eccles QC accepted Smith was not driving at more than 10mph, but said the “really aggravating” factor was that at the time of the crash Smith was subject to a 12-month suspended sentence of six weeks for possessing an offensive weapon in public.

He sentenced Smith to spend 26 weeks in prison for careless driving and a further six weeks for the offensive weapon charge. Smith would spend at least half of that time behind bars.

Judge Eccles also banned Smith from driving for 12 months.

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