A DRIVER who smashed into a taxi and left two women passengers for dead had spent the previous day drinking and taking drugs.

Bolton Crown Court heard that the women suffered multiple serious injuries, with one needing part of her skull removing, after Scott Lomax hurtled through Bradford Street traffic lights at almost twice the speed limit and into the side of the taxi.

The force of the impact sent Kelly Kenny and Danielle Worthington flying though the taxi window into the wet road, with one of them ending up under Lomax's car.

Lomax ran off and was later found at a nearby house — he had continued drinking and had was woken by police after falling asleep.

Bolton Crown Court heard that, immediately prior to the crash, 29-year-old Lomax, who has never passed a driving test, was driving aggressively and erratically in the Ford Focus he owns.

David Lees, prosecuting, told how, just before 3am on November 26 2017, Lomax, who was said to be angry following a row, became involved in a altercation with a woman driver in Bolton.

At one stage he pulled alongside her and was revving his engine at traffic lights then cut in front of her and sped off through another set of red traffic lights at the junction of Bradford Street and St Peter's Way.

Then he turned his vehicle around and was heading back to the same set of traffic lights at up to 55 miles an hour when he smashed into the Peugeot taxi being driven by Sajid Butt.

The right turn traffic light filter was not in Mr Butt's favour.

"But had Mr Lomax been driving at 30mph then there would have been more than enough time for Mr Butt to complete the manoeuvre," said Mr Lees.

Both vehicles were sent spinning, with the Peugeot taxi crashing into a barrier.

None of the three women passengers in the taxi were wearing seat belts.

Mr Butt suffered minor injuries and Chloe Howarth's teeth were damaged, but Ms Kenny and Ms Worthington were so severely injured that a passing motorist, who stopped to help, thought they were dead.

Ms Worthington’s skull was so badly fractured that part of it had to be removed and she suffered a fractured spine, shoulder and pelvis as well as nerve damage and lacerations to her kidney and liver. She remained in hospital for 10 weeks and is still suffering from her injuries.

Ms Kenny was placed in an induced coma after suffering a fractured skull, ribs, nose and needed surgery on her back and pelvis as well as a tracheotomy. She was in critical care for three and a half weeks and did not leave hospital for two months.

In court, an impassioned message from her to Lomax was read out (see below).

Lomax, of Richmond Drive, Leigh, who has previous convictions for serious motoring offences, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

In a letter to the court he said: "I feel ashamed and remorseful for my actions. I cannot make any sort of excuse for my actions."

Shirlie Duckworth, defending, added: "No sentence from the court can compensate the victims or repair the damage to their lives. He would have preferred to have died rather than cause the injuries he did."

The maximum sentence for causing serious injury is five years in prison and Judge Richard Gioserano jailed Lomax for 32 months.

He was scathing in his criticism of Lomax, who had been drinking, taken cocaine and had very little sleep before driving aggressively and showing "disregard for the safety of other people."

He added: "The collision which resulted cost two women dearly.

"Whilst you ran away the severity of their injuries became apparent.

"Even if you did not see them lying in the road you did not, for a moment, think about anyone but yourself.

"You chose to vent your anger by driving dangerously deliberately and other people have had to pay the price for that."

Lomax was also banned from applying for a driving licence for six years and four months, after which he will have to take an extended driving test.