Killer driver who was texting as his car ploughed into Coventry father is behind barsA driver was constantly texting for 20 minutes while behind the wheel of his car before he ploughed in to a pedestrian.
Robert Morris was crossing Ansty Road, in Walsgrave, following a Christmas drink with family when he was hit by Steven Russell's Jaguar.
Russell, 42, of Adelaide Street, Hillfields, didn't even brake before hitting the father.
He was today jailed for seven years after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.
He will serve a further 18 months on top of that sentence after admitting to harassment and criminal damage charges, that included him telling another man he was going to "put a bullet in your head".
Jailing Russell, Judge Andrew Lockhart said that his dangerous driving “began as you left home that night”.
He told Russell: “From 10.45pm you were in constant text conversation. You were distracted through the journey, with texts forwards and backwards throughout.
"It was a journey of some 20 minutes and you were concentrating more on your phone than your driving."
The judge stated that Mr Morris was “there to be seen” in Ansty Road for “around 100 metres” on the night that he was hit by Russell’s car.
“Had you been paying proper attention you would have seen him and been able to react,” the judge told Russell.