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| Man jailed for text crash death | Man jailed for text crash death |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A drink-driver who killed a mother-of-two in a head-on crash while he had been arguing with his wife via text message has been jailed for nine years. | |
| Paul Cox's car crossed on to the wrong side of a main road and smashed into 33-year-old Alison Langton's car on the Exminster bypass last November. | Paul Cox's car crossed on to the wrong side of a main road and smashed into 33-year-old Alison Langton's car on the Exminster bypass last November. |
| The last text sent to him was at the moment his car hit Ms Langton's car, Exeter Crown Court heard. | The last text sent to him was at the moment his car hit Ms Langton's car, Exeter Crown Court heard. |
| Cox, 34, of Hennock, Devon, admitted causing death by dangerous driving. | Cox, 34, of Hennock, Devon, admitted causing death by dangerous driving. |
| The charge was accepted by the prosecution after Cox denied manslaughter. | The charge was accepted by the prosecution after Cox denied manslaughter. |
| It would be easy to drive into something Text from Paul Cox | It would be easy to drive into something Text from Paul Cox |
| The court heard that on the day of the crash, father-of-four Cox had been told by his wife to leave the family home. | The court heard that on the day of the crash, father-of-four Cox had been told by his wife to leave the family home. |
| He then went out drinking in the afternoon, downing five pints of beer before he got into his car on the evening of the crash. | He then went out drinking in the afternoon, downing five pints of beer before he got into his car on the evening of the crash. |
| Cox, who was twice over the drink drive limit, then sent a long series of text messages. | |
| Prosecutor Sarah Munro QC said one of the texts to his wife said: "You wont see me again" and "It would be easy to drive into something". | Prosecutor Sarah Munro QC said one of the texts to his wife said: "You wont see me again" and "It would be easy to drive into something". |
| Judge Graham Cottle said Cox was "distracted by your mobile phone retrieving a text message at the very minute the accident occurred". | Judge Graham Cottle said Cox was "distracted by your mobile phone retrieving a text message at the very minute the accident occurred". |
| Ms Langton was a train driver for First Great Western and had moved to Devon from Crewe. | Ms Langton was a train driver for First Great Western and had moved to Devon from Crewe. |
| Ms Langton's mother June Langton, 64, who is bringing up Alison's two children aged 15 and 12, said after the case: "I have not had one happy day since it happened." | Ms Langton's mother June Langton, 64, who is bringing up Alison's two children aged 15 and 12, said after the case: "I have not had one happy day since it happened." |
| Cox was also banned from driving for seven years. | Cox was also banned from driving for seven years. |