'An act of complete cowardice': Disgraced former soldier jailed for running off after causing high-speed crash while drunk and leaving three people seriously injured

Former soldier Joshua Hartshorne lost control of his car in Horbury, Wakefield, after a night out with friends and collided with an oncoming vehicle which set on fire as passengers frantically tried to escape.

His own passenger, a male who was left with spinal injuries, said Hartshorne had reached speeds of up to 80mph in built-up 30mph areas, although this exact speed was disputed by the defendant, Leeds Crown Court heard.

A female passenger in the opposite vehicle suffered severe facial injuries, including two fractures to her eye socket that needed surgery to fit metal plates.