A drug dealer who crashed his car into three other cars and a pedestrian after being found to be five to six times over the legal driving limit has now been jailed.

Paul Howes, 48, of Gravesend, went on a drunk driving rampage in June 2019, leaving a teenage girl with serious injuries.

Found to be far over the legal drink driving limit, he was found to be in possession of class A drugs and then subsequently racially abused an office while in custody.

On Tuesday, February 4, Howes was sentenced to four and a half years in jail at Woolwich Crown Court, and will also be disqualified from driving for three years following his release.

The 48-year-old pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, dangerous driving, failing to stop, racially aggravated public order, failing to comply with an impairment test, failing to provide an evidential sample of blood and possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

The investigating officer, Sergeant Chris Wade from the Serious Crash Investigation Unit, stated: "At the sentencing the judge said this was one of the most serious cases the court had seen for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

"Not only did Howes drive on the pavement, he failed to stop after he had driven into a pedestrian. It’s lucky the person he hit wasn’t killed and no-one else was injured."

At around 10pm on June 14 last year, Howes, of Lower Higham Road, was driving along Old Road East in Gravesend when he collided with a parked car.

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Seconds later he mounted the kerb and drove into a pedestrian walking along the pathway and throwing her into a nearby garden.

The victim, a teenage girl, collided with a wall and suffered serious injuries.

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Refusing to atop, Howes drove along the pavement until his vehicle was forced into a garden fence after crashing into another car.

This was witnessed by a number of members of the public, who were later able to identify the vehicle and Howe as the driver.

Howe was given a roadside breath test by attending patrols who found him to be five to six times over the legal limit, but refused to take further tests for driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs.

A subsequent search of his car uncovered 10 wraps of cocaine and cannabis, and whilst in custody Howes racially abused an officer.