A man who crashed his vehicle through Prison Bridge, Devizes bridge and then fled the scene has been sentenced.

Andrew Wellard, 32, of Seabrook Road, Kent, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, failing to stop after a road traffic collision and leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position.

The accident happened just months after another crash at the same bridge in which Karly Heweson, 21, died.

In the early hours of the morning on November 14 last year, Wellard was driving his blue Mercedes C250 out of Devizes town centre along Bath Road when he collided with the railings on the bridge.

The vehicle was left balancing half on the bridge and half hanging over the canal below.

Wellard left the vehicle in the precarious position, and the collision was reported to police by a passing motorist.

Officers attended the scene and the vehicle was recovered. Enquiries were carried out to locate the driver and the following morning, Wellard handed himself in at police headquarters.

PC Tom Crabtree said: “Not only did Wellard leave his vehicle in a position that put other people’s lives at risk, he also caused a significant amount of damage to the bridge. Having spoken to the Canal & River Trust, the repairs cost in the region of £95,000.

“Wellard’s standard of driving leading up to the collision fell far below that which you would expect from a competent and careful driver and this will not be tolerated. He put his own life and the lives of other road and canal users at risk and I am pleased that we have been able to put him before the courts for his actions.”

Wellard was given eight points on his licence, fined £700, ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge and Crown Prosecution Costs of £85.