Jailed death crash vet escapes job ban

A VET who killed a man in a car crash when driving with more than double the legally permitted level of alcohol in his blood escaped a ban from resuming his career when he gets out of prison. Peter Hanlon told a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons disci

A VET who killed a man in a car crash when driving with more than double the legally permitted level of alcohol in his blood escaped a ban from resuming his career when he gets out of prison.

Peter Hanlon told a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' disciplinary hearing that he had attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings since being in custody and confirmed he had not drunk alcohol since the accident.

Hanlon, who worked at the Pet Doctors surgery in Soham, killed elderly driver James Barber and injured his wife, Ivy, when he lost control of his car on the A142 between Soham and Ely.

Hanlon, 38, later admitted having drunk two bottles of wine the previous day and threequarters of a bottle of wine on the day of the accident. He had not eaten for three days.

He was jailed for 30 months in December last year after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.

The disciplinary hearing committee stopped short of banning Hanlon and postponed the final ruling of the case for two years.

Hanlon was ordered to remain sober and agree to four monthly check-ups with the doctors.

Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Brian Jennings, said: "We have concluded that by postponing judgment for two years, subject to undertakings from Mr Hanlon, we can properly maintain public confidence in the profession by taking measures to monitor Mr Hanlon's abstinence from alcohol and continued practice as a veterinary surgeon.