A RICH pensioner who injured 21 people when he drunkenly crashed into a marquee at a charity ball has been jailed.

Peter Bialek, 66, of London Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire, had drunk two bottles of wine and was twice the drink-drive limit when he lost control and sent his car careering 20 metres into the marquee.

A court heard fellow guests ended up "bouncing off the front of the car and its windscreen" after he accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

He will spend 16 months behind bars after pleading guilty to three counts of GBH without intent and a fourth charge of causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving.

One of his victims, a 65-year-old woman, suffered a fractured ankle, while her husband broke three ribs and a 22-year-old woman's legs were cut at the event to raise money for a local village hall.

The noise of Bialiek crashing through the marquee was like "a bomb had exploded", witnesses said.

Bialek left the event at Dene Farm, close to Nether Wallop, near Stockbridge, Hants.. with his partner because of back pain at around 11pm on October 3 last year.

But when they returned to their car it was blocked in by other vehicles and Bialek's sober partner was unable to manoeuvre it out of the space near to the marquee.

The consequences will live with all of the victims but he too will live with it for the rest of his life.

He lost control of the car because he failed to find the brake pedal, he said.

Charles Gabb, defending, said: "When they went to leave, others had effectively boxed in their car, the defendant, in an act of trying to help – it wasn't irascibility or annoyance, it was because she was unable to get out of the gap."
He added that after he stopped the vehicle, he was dragged from the car and assaulted.

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He said: "From the moment the car came to a stop when he turned the keys, he was expressing shock and horror at what happened.

"What happened on that night was a dreadful miscarriage of judgement.

"The consequences will live with all of the victims but he too will live with it for the rest of his life.
"It has made the deepest impact on him possible, it will live with him until his dying day."
He said Bialek, who set up and runs a successful skip hire company, was a respected boss who had generously donated land worth £66,000 to a community farm.

His stepdaughter, Debbie Trant, told Winchester Crown Court: "He is a shadow of his former self.

"It's a terrible shame to see such a great man be reduced to this."

Sentencing him to 16 months in prison, Mr Justice Teare said:  "This is an incident which should never have happened.

"I accept you did not intend to cause harm but you were reckless as to whether harm would, as a result of your actions, be caused.

"A number of people suffered injuries.

"I have heard evidence of your positive good character as determined in your business life not only has it been successful but you have taken great care of your employees.

"In addition you have expressed remorse right from the beginning and you pleaded guilty at the earliest possible mention.

"You have been utterly devastated by these events and I accept that."

Bialek was also banned from driving for two years and ordered to pay £750 court costs.

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