A DRIVER who took ecstasy and drank all night before he crashed into a motorbike and killed its passenger had his sentence cut to six years after judges were told of his "genuine and deep remorse".

On Friday London's Court of Appeal heard that James Ward Douglas, aged 22, who had been swigging from a can of lager at the wheel before the accident, had committed an act of "incredible stupidity and self indulgence".

Douglas killed 41-year-old mum-of-one Karen Boulcott, and seriously injured her Gulf War veteran husband Mark.

Douglas, of Carmarthen, was convicted in Swansea Crown Court on September 26 last year of causing death by dangerous driving.

He was sentenced on October 31 to seven years in prison and disqualified from driving for five years.

Mr Justice Irwin told the appeal court had been drinking all night - consuming a bottle of wine, 12 bottles of beer and four cans of strong lager, as well as an ecstasy tablet - and had only had an hour's sleep before getting behind the wheel.

The following morning, October 7, he bought more alcohol before heading to Oakwood. On finding the theme park closed, he and his passengers decided to go to Cardiff.

Douglas turned the wrong way on to the A40 and tried to do a U-turn into a side street near Narberth, and did not see Mr and Mrs Boulcott, of The Old Rectory, Herbrandston, approaching on their motorbike.

Mr Boulcott suffered fractures to his pelvis, leg and arm and spent 75 days in hospital, where he received 50 units of blood and underwent numerous operations.

Mr Justice Irwin said: "Because of the drink, he (Douglas) failed to look and see the oncoming motorcycle. The incident was as simple as that.

"This was an act of incredible stupidity and self indulgence, to drink to this extent and then drive. This young man caused a terrible death and irreparable damage."

However the judge, accompanied on the bench by Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Blair, also heard that Douglas had a previously clean driving record, was of good character and had expressed "genuine shock and remorse".