A 28-year-old Kenyan, Augustine Kiprono, has been sentenced to three years in prison for causing serious injuries in a drunk driving accident in the UK. The incident involved a collision with an elderly couple on a motorcycle. Kiprono now faces deportation to Kenya upon release.
The incident occurred on June 4 at around 6:35 pm as the couple returned home from Wales. Kiprono, nearly one-and-a-half times over the legal alcohol limit, attempted a risky overtake of a lorry on a bend and veered directly into an oncoming motorcycle. The couple survived, but the husband spent over two weeks in hospital with a broken left leg and arm. His wife was hospitalized for a fortnight treating an open thigh fracture, leaving one leg shorter after surgery.
Kiprono was found collapsed in a nearby field, where he admitted his involvement before being rushed to hospital and placed in a coma. He was discharged five days later. In court, he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, with his lawyer stating he was remorseful and accepted full responsibility.
It emerged that Kiprono arrived in the UK in 2020 and was granted leave to remain, but faced personal struggles including alcohol addiction. He had no insurance and no UK driving licence. The judge imposed a three-year sentence, plus a six-and-a-half-year driving ban and a requirement for an extended retest.
The injured couple recently gave an interview expressing their desire to 'look the driver in the eye' after the life-changing crash. Under UK immigration law, foreign nationals sentenced to 12 months or more in prison are automatically considered for deportation.