A 21-YEAR-OLD pub worker who drove into another vehicle after drinking alcohol and taking drugs at a party injured one of her friends so severely he spent weeks in an induced coma.

In a letter read to Swansea Crown Court, Billy Wathan said that, despite his injuries, he didn’t wish to see the driver imprisoned.

The driver, Larisa Jones had spent the evening working her shift at the Castle Hotel, Pontardawe before joining friends at a house party.

At 9am the following morning, August 21, Jones agreed to take Mr Wathan and another friend, Chloe McQuaide home.

Despite a 30mph speed limit, Jones drove her Renault Twingo at speed through Ynysmeudy before hitting a Citroen which was being driving "cautiously" by 50-year-old Andrea Wheelhouse.

The Twingo then somersaulted into the air before colliding with a lamp post. Forensic investigations estimated that Jones had been driving at between 54 and 67mph.

Mr Wathan, who hadn't been wearing a seatbelt, received numerous facial injuries, a bleed to his brain, broken hips and a collapsed lung.

He was taken to University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff and was put into an induced coma.

He was later transferred to Morriston Hospital before moving back in with his mother whose home was adapted to accommodate his injuries.

He was confined to a wheelchair for a number of weeks which affected his ability to care for his young son. He also experienced seizures.

But Prosecutor Dean Pulling read a letter to the court in which Mr Wathan said he didn’t blame Jones for the collision.

“It was an accident,” he said. “It was not intentional and I want her to know that I don’t want her to go to prison."

Jones was later found to have 85mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood – the legal limit is 80mg.

In addition she was found to have 630mg of a cocaine metabolite in her blood making her 12-and-a-half times over the legal limit of 50.

Jones, of Bethesda Road, Ynysmeudwy, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol, and driving with excess drugs.

Jones was jailed for a total of 22 months. She was also disqualified from driving for four years and 11 months.