A South Woodham Ferrers motorist who inflicted "devastating injuries" on a female driver during a head-on collision has been jailed for six months.

David Howard, 37, of Littlecroft, South Woodham Ferrers, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday.

As well as being imprisoned for six months, he was disqualified from driving for three years and ordered to take an extended driving test.

Emma Catterill, 18, lost her left eye and sustained horrific facial injuries when her vehicle was struck head-on by a car overtaking a lorry on a sweeping left hand bend at Radley Green, near Ongar.

She now has an artificial eye, has undergone a series of operations to reconstruct her face and is due to have more surgery this Christmas.

"She will bear the scars of the accident for the rest of her life, both physically and otherwise," said prosecutor Stephen Dyble.

Mr Dyble said the accident happened on a dark, drizzly morning on November 18 last year as Howard was driving his Volvo car on the A414 towards Harlow.

He was following a lorry which was travelling at about 45mph.

Howard pulled out to overtake the lorry on a sweeping left hand bend.

Miss Catterill's Ford Escort came into view from the opposite direction, travelling at between 50 and 60mph.

Howard did not pull back but continued the overtaking manoeuvre and there was a devastating head-on collision, said Mr Dyble.

Miss Catterill sustained horrific injuries and had to be cut out of her vehicle.

Defence counsel Daren Samat said: "Since this terrible event, not a day goes by without Howard thinking about the suffering of Miss Catterill. "

Judge David Goodin told Howard: "It was your appaling driving that has resulted in devastating injuries to a young woman."

Published Friday August 6, 2004