A JUDGE said that drink drivers who "cause mayhem on the road" will face "very significant punishment" as he sentenced the man who caused the death of dad-of-two Adam Cunliffe.

Paul Whitfield, 54, of Hammond Street, Parr, appeared in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for causing the death of the 21-year-old  by driving a Mazda dangerously.

The court heard that Whitefield, who was driving home after having been out drinking in St Helens town centre on January 11, 2022, was around two and a half times in excess of the legal limit.

He was "oblivious" as his car drove over his victim who was lying in the carriageway of Washway Lane at around 12.30am on January 12, and failed to notice "frantic" efforts by other motorists to alert Whitfield to the "unfolding horror".

Whitfield's car dragged Adam's body near to the Moss Bank pub, around a kilometre away.

Paul Whitfield was sentenced on TuesdayPaul Whitfield was sentenced on Tuesday (Image: Merseyside Police)

Judge, the Recorder of Liverpool, Andrew Menary KC sentenced Whitfield to seven years and four months in prison, reduced from 11 years for his guilty plea.

He said Whitfield's failure to realise he had hit Adam "demonstrated how badly affected by drink" he was.

Whitfield was also disqualified from driving for five years, in addition to his time in custody.

While passing the sentence, the judge noted that the offence was committed in January 2022, which was before the maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving was increased from 14 years imprisonment to life under Violet's Law, following a campaign by the parents of four-year-old Violet-Grace Youens, who was killed by a speeding car in 2017. 

He said that drink drivers who "cause mayhem" and "in particular cause someone's death" can expect "very significant punishment".

Judge Menary, who is Liverpool's top judge, said: "The maximum sentence was lower than currently. It must be recognised when somebody quite deliberately chooses to drive when they must know they're under the influence of drink and, as a consequence of that, cause mayhem on the roads and in particular cause someone's death there must be a very significant punishment indeed."