One of the survivors of a fatal crash in Cardiff has been jailed for 17 months for dangerous driving and driving while disqualified on the night of the crash.
The offences were not connected with the crash that happened later that night at 2.03am on 4 March.
Driver Rafel Jeanne and passengers Darcy Ross and Eve Smith died in the later fatal collision.
But Shane Andrew Loughlin, 32, of the Rumney area of Cardiff, was sentenced at the city’s Crown Court on Friday.
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said Loughlin showed “a total disregard for the law” on the night and that it was “luck not judgement” that he didn’t kill or injure anyone.
Video footage played in court on Friday afternoon showed Loughlin inhaling from balloons as he drove a Volkswagen Tiguan at speeds of up to 90mph along the M4, with the car crossing the lines of the road.
The court heard Loughlin, who has three young children, at times did not have either hand on the wheel as he inhaled nitrous oxide from the balloon.
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South Wales Police said the offences occurred on the M4 at around 10pm on 3 March.
Judge Lloyd-Clarke said: “This was a deliberate decision to drive dangerously. You ignored the rules of the road and disregarded the risks to others.
“It was prolonged driving and prolonged use of the mobile phone to record what you were doing. You had passengers in the vehicle.
“You were filming, it would appear, to be able to share that video with others.”
She added that Loughlin had a “truly appalling” record of criminal convictions, including driving offences, and was the subject of a driving ban at the time.
Judge Lloyd-Clarke disqualified him from driving for two years and eight months. He will have to pass an extended driving test before regaining his licence.
The court heard Loughlin was also the subject of a community order, relating to an incident involving the sister of Mr Jeanne – his former partner and mother to his three children – at the time.
Magistrates previously heard Loughlin had been disqualified from driving for 12 months from July 2022.
Still questions about deadly crash on same night
The three who died were declared dead at the scene of the later crash, an initial inquest heard.
The hearing was adjourned pending the outcome of further histology and toxicology tests.
It wasn’t until Monday 6 March that the five occupants of the car were discovered, around 46 hours after the crash took place.
Gwent Police and South Wales Police’s actions after the initial missing person reports are currently the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Officers identified the offences by Loughlin while investigating the fatal collision and police say they involved the same vehicle.
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The fatal collision itself happened near the St Mellons area of Cardiff on the A48(M).
The Volkswagen Tiguan veered off a slip road approaching a roundabout and came to rest in some trees.
Sophie Russon – another passenger in the car – also survived the crash.
