A DRIVER has been given a suspended jail sentence and a two-year driving ban after a crash which left himself and another man with life-changing injuries.

Keith Burdess, 47, from Rowde, appeared at Salisbury Crown Court where he faced charges for driving offences from an accident on the A4 at Froxfield in September last year, leaving both drivers with serious injuries.

A police spokesmand said: "Burdess was driving a Mini Countryman from Froxfield towards Marlborough at 4pm on September 11 last year when he crossed the central double white line and collided with a Mercedes C220.

"Officers found that the Burdess's mobile phone was live prior to the collision and a seven-minute 56 second mobile phone call ended at the time of the collision.

"This was a hand held mobile phone and was not linked to the vehicle's Bluetooth facility.

"The call was tracked and started around five miles before the collision."

PC Will Ayres said: “The driver of the Mercedes sustained severe injuries which have dramatically changed his life forever.

"It has been a very tough time for the victim, his business and his whole family.

“This collision sadly shows the devastating result of using a mobile phone whilst driving and shows an obvious distraction to the offending driver in this collision.

"Drivers using mobile phones not only risk penalty points, convictions and potentially prison but all too often we deal with serious collisions where serious/fatal injuries occur where mobile phone use has been a contributing factor.”

Burdess pleaded guilty to the offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving on July 14 and in addition to the suspended sentence he was disqualified from driving for two years with a requirement to take an extended driving test.

“I urge all drivers who may be tempted to use a mobile phone whilst driving to look at the attached images and to put their phone out or reach or sight,” said PC Ayres.

“We find that often drivers committing the offence of using a mobile phone whilst driving say the same thing, ‘it was only a quick call/text’ or ‘it was only a few seconds’.

"The distraction might only take a few seconds but the consequences can last a life time.”