An Italian truck driver who fell asleep at the wheel and rolled his truck, spilling its cargo of toxic chemicals over a motorway, has had his prison sentence cut on appeal.
Francesco Ferrari fell asleep after more than 15 hours at the wheel. His truck mounted the slip road at J12 of the M20 near Sandgate, Kent, went straight over the other side, ploughed through a barrier and came to rest on its roof after rolling down a bank.
His cargo of 50 gallon drums full of flammable, toxic and corrosive chemicals was spilt, but Ferrari escaped unhurt. But after police arrested him he attempted to flush incriminating tacho charts down a police station toilet.
He later admitted having driven through the night without taking the required breaks, claiming he was frightened of being attacked by criminals if he stopped.
Ferrari was jailed for a year and 14 days at Maidstone Crown Court on 30 August this year after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.
However, Mr Justice Penry-Davey, sitting with Mr Justice Pitchford at London's Criminal Appeal Court, has now reduced that sentence to nine months and 14 days.
He said that although it was important for the sentence to act as a deterrent, 12 months was too long for this offence.
But he concluded: "This man deliberately drove well beyond his capacity, knowing there was a risk of very serious consequences in him falling asleep at the wheel of an LGV while carrying a substantial quantity of toxic and dangerous chemicals.
"We agree that this offence was so serious that only a prison term was appropriate."