A 21-year-old man was convicted yesterday of injuring two others in an 80 km per hour crash that he caused while drunk.

It took a jury two-and-half hours to find Theron Williams, of Town Hill Road, Smith’s, guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to Sebastiao DeMorais, the driver of the other car involved.

He was also found guilty of causing actual bodily harm to Mr. DeMorais’s passenger Etel DaSilva through dangerous driving. Both verdicts were by a nine to three majority.

Speaking after the verdict, Mr. DeMorais said he had mixed feelings.

“I am happy with the outcome, but I wish none of it had happened,” he said. “I am sorry for his family, for all that has happened and because they are grieving.”

Mr. DeMorais, a cleaner, has not been able to work or do any sports because of his injuries from the accident. He now plans to seek compensation in a civil court action.

During the trial, the jury had heard how in the early hours of January 30, 2005, Mr. DeMorais was driving his friend Mr. DaSilva on Middle Road, Warwick, when Williams’ speeding car smashed into their vehicle.

The court heard that Williams’ car had previously forced another driver, Shawn Russell, to swerve on to a sidewalk due to erratic driving.

Mr. DeMorais suffered fractures in his arm and lacerations to his face in the collision, and spent 35 days in hospital. Mr DaSilva suffered chest injuries, although he did not have to be hospitalised.

Williams claimed in court that he was not actually driving at the time of the crash but had told Police he was in order to cover for a friend.

Closing the prosecution case yesterday, however, Senior Crown Counsel Carrington Mahoney said: “On the night of the crash, Williams admitted that he was the one driving and then 14 or 15 days later, he admitted again in a taped interview that he was the driver and now he’s trying to contradict it.

“He lies. He caused the accident and when he received the summons for trial, that’s when he realised that things were going to proceed and he tried to change his story.”

Puisne Justice Carlisle Greaves ordered a pre-sentence report on Williams.

He ordered him to hand over travel documents and released him on $1,000 bail with two sureties to appear before the court again on April 2.