Man caused workmate horrific injures after 100mph race in the Brecon Beacons

A man caused “catastrophic” injuries to his friend and colleague after racing a van on his way home from work.

Thomas Sawyer, 20, left friend Gwyndaf Jolly unable to have children or walk independently after crashing the van they were sharing home from a job in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

Mr Jolly told a court his life has been turned upside, he is now housebound and spends his time going over the collision.

On Tuesday, Merthyr Crown Court heard how the men, both engineers, had been travelling on the A470 and later A40 towards west Wales when Sawyer began travelling at speeds up to 100mph and overtaking.

Mr Jolly repeatedly asked his friend to slow down but the driver began to “compete” with a white Seat van that overtook them near Sennybridge and caused them to crash.

In his victim impact statement read out in court, Mr Jolly described how he has been told he is now unable to have children as a result of his friend’s actions as well as suffering serious injury to his pelvis and leg.

He said: “I have also recently received very difficult news from my neurologist. It is extremely unlikely I will ever be able to have children. I do not know if I will be able to walk independently without a stick or some kind of aid. I am informed I will need a double hip replacement at some time in the future.”

Sawyer was given a two year six month custody sentence to be spent in a young offenders institution on Tuesday.