A KILLER driver who caused the death of a young woman in a horrific crash has been banned from the roads for life after defiantly committing serious new driving offences.
Banned driver Dean Stepan, pictured, blatantly ignored a ten-year disqualification imposed when he was jailed for seven years in 2005 after a death crash in which he had been drinking heavily.
A judge branded him a "positive danger to the public" and locked him up for another two years for a series of new drink-related driving offences.
Stepan, 31, of Pelham Court, Pelham Road, Immingham, admitted dangerous driving, drink-driving and having no insurance on July 10 and drink-driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance on December 15.
Gordon Stables, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Stepan rode an off-road motorcycle without lights on a coastal path along the North Wall, Cleethorpes, in the early hours.
The bike had no registration plates, no speedometer, no horn and its tyres were unsuitable. He crashed in to a barrier "which he plainly did not see" and caused himself serious injuries. He spent some time in hospital and the bike was badly damaged.
A blood test later revealed he had 147mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.
In the second incident, police spotted Stepan driving his mother's car in Top Road, South Killingholme, and stopped him. His mother was his front seat passenger at the time.
A breath test later revealed he had 58mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
Stepan had an appalling record for driving offences among his 44 previous convictions.
They included failing to stop after an accident in 1999; dangerous driving, driving while banned and drink-driving in 2000; dangerous driving, taking a vehicle without consent and driving while banned in 2002; and twice driving while banned in 2004.
The seven-year prison sentence imposed at the same court in June 2005 for causing death by dangerous driving followed a crash in April that year in which 21-year-old Donna Rowntree died.
The ten-year driving ban imposed that day included a requirement that Stepan could not drive at all until he had passed an extended retest.
Judge Mark Bury told Stepan: "Your record is one of the worst I have seen in relation to motor car crime.
"You are a danger, a positive danger, to others and yourself when you are driving. You have many convictions for driving while disqualified, dangerous driving and driving over the prescribed limit.
"Given your conviction when you killed somebody, I am amazed you were on the road at all.
"You simply do not learn your lesson. You are a positive danger to members of the public."
Judge Bury said that it had been claimed that Stepan felt remorse after the death of the woman in the previous accident – but it was obviously "not enough" to stop him driving while banned after drinking.
Richard Hackfath, mitigating, said Stepan claimed the death crash still "preyed on his mind greatly". He recognised that his involvement with vehicles caused considerable problems to himself and others.
Stepan was fully aware of the risks of drink-driving and, when he went to a remote area in the early hours to test a bike he was working on, he believed he was off-road. No damage was caused to anybody but himself.
As he left the dock, Stepan smirked and muttered: "Whatever".
Editor's CommentDEAN Stepan is a true menace to society and it can only be hoped that the latest sentence handed down to him prevents him tearing any more lives apart.
Judge Mark Bury speaks a great truth when he says:"You are a danger, a positive danger, to others and yourself when you are driving ... You simply do not learn your lesson. You are a positive danger to members of the public."
This man represents all that is wrong with a certain sector of our society at the moment – selfish, thoughtless, no respect and no conscience.
If you are equipped with none of the above, then you create a place that reflects just that – and spend a life destined to inflict pain and misery on others.
Stepan would have done just that had he been allowed to continue – he has already done so once, with absolutely no remorse.
It must be simply dreadful for the heartbroken family of Donna Rowntree to relive the terrible events that led to the death of this lovely young woman, who had everything to live for.
Their hope can only be that the story printed today can prick the consciences, if they have them, of others like Stepan, thereby preventing other families going through what they have had to suffer.
They cannot bring Donna back, but they can speak out in the hope that others may listen ... and possibly learn a very valuable lesson.
What further action do readers think can be taken to stop these tragedies on our roads – let us know by commenting on this story.
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