Man disqualified for crash that killed best friend caught driving again
Sophie Dragon appeared at Suffolk Magistrates' Court in Ipswich Picture: ARCHANT - Credit: ARCHANT
A man banned from driving for causing a crash which killed his best friend was caught driving again just months after he was disqualified.
Krzysztof Maslak, 27, of Rectory Road, Ipswich, had been banned after the crash on the A1092 Westlegate Street, Long Melford on November 22 last year in which 23-year-old Maciej Antkowiak died.
But on Thursday, December 6 officer stopped Maslak again in Belstead Road, Ipswich with his pregnant girlfriend, who is due to give birth in January, sitting in the passenger seat after he made an “impulsive decision” to get behind the wheel.
Suffolk Magistrates’ Court heard that he initially gave officers a false name but later admitted who he was.
Maslak has now had his driving ban extended by an additional 10 months, meaning he will not get licence back until June 2024. He avoided a jail term after he was sentenced his eight-week prison sentence was suspended for a year. In mitigation, Jeremy Kendall said he already had a lengthy disqualification from the Long Melford crash.
“It was an accident which has obviously fallen very heavy on him, an incident of careless driving which led to the death of his friend,” Mr Kendall said.
Mr Kendall said Maslak had been shopping at Copdock with his girlfriend when she began to feel unwell, complaining of stomach pain.
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“Unfortunately, concern for his partner and feeling it was only a short distance home, late at night, he drove and was of course stopped by police,” he said.
“He has put himself in a very difficult position because it is soon after his disqualification.
“His intention was not to drive when he started off. “But the reason he was driving was she was in pain and wanted to get home.
“It was a impulsive decision to drive a relatively short distance and he will pay a heavy penalty for that.”
Mr Kendall said if Maslak were immediately jailed, his partner would be the one who would pay the price.
“It would be her who principally suffers,” he said.
Maslak was also made to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £115.
He received no separate penalty for driving without insurance.
