A RESPECTED businessman has been jailed for 16 months for drunkenly crashing into a marquee at a charity ball, injuring 21 people.

Peter Bialek, 66, lost control of his new Mercedes as he attempted to move it from a parking space.

The skip firm director, of London Road, Salisbury, pleaded guilty at a previous hearing at Winchester Crown Court to three counts of GBH without intent and a fourth charge of causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving.

Bialek was also banned from driving for two years and ordered to pay £750 court costs.

The incident happened during a ball held to raise money for a village hall attended by 300 people at Dene Farm, close to Nether Wallop, near Andover, on October 3 last year.

Daily Echo:

The scene at Dene Farm (photo: Hampshire Constabulary)

The court heard that Bialek suffers from sciatica, and had decided to leave the event with his partner because of his back pain at about 11pm.

But when they returned to their car they found it blocked in by other vehicles and Bialek's partner, who had not been drinking, was unable to manoeuvre it out of the space near to the marquee.

Bialek, who was twice the drink-drive limit, took over, but as he attempted to move the car, he lost control and the car careered 20 metres into the marquee, injuring 21 people, three seriously.

One victim, a 65-year-old woman, suffered a fractured ankle, her husband suffered three broken ribs and a 22-year-old woman suffered cuts to her legs.

Charles Gabb, defending, said: "When they went to leave, others had effectively boxed in their car, the defendant, in an act of trying to help - it wasn't irascibility or annoyance, it was because she was unable to get out of the gap."

Mr Gabb said he lost control of the car because he failed to find the brake pedal. He added that after he stopped the vehicle, he was dragged from the car and assaulted.

He said: "From the moment the car came to a stop when he turned the keys, he was expressing shock and horror at what happened."

He added: "What happened on that night was a dreadful miscarriage of judgment. The consequences will live with all of the victims but he too will live with it for the rest of his life.

"It has made the deepest impact on him possible, it will live with him until his dying day."

He said Bialek, who set up and runs a successful skip hire company, was a respected boss who had generously donated land worth £66,000 to a community farm.

His stepdaughter, Debbie Trant, told the court: "He is a shadow of his former self. It's a terrible shame to see such a great man be reduced to this."

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Teare said: "I have given considerable weight to your qualities as a human being, I accept that you are in every other respect a good man.

"But the court has to balance the consequences of your actions that night and the injuries caused to over 20 people, three of whom suffered serious injuries, the effects of which will be with them for some time."

After the hearing, PC Stephen Johnson, officer in the case, said: “Bialek chose to get behind the wheel that night, despite having consumed alcohol.

“His reckless act of driving into the marquee left many people injured, some seriously, and could have been much worse.

“The sentence given today should serve as a reminder that driving whilst under the influence can have catastrophic consequences. It really is not worth the risk.”