A man who crashed his car injuring Opposition Leader Kim Swan and his wife while drunk has been jailed for a year.

Jonathan Guishard, 41, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Ercinda Swan, known as Cindy, and actual bodily harm to Mr. Swan at a hearing last month.

In court on Friday, he apologised for the accident and said: "I first of all would like to express in this court my sincere sorrow of what I have done to the people in that accident. That is something that will always remain in my mind.

"I also ask for your mercy and ask that you consider my situation both here and in the UK as that this is my country and it's something I will never do again to harm the people of my country."

The Swans were travelling home, on July 11 last year at 2.15 a.m., from a lengthy session in the House of Assembly when Guishard's car crashed into their car near Terceira's Gas Station, in Devonshire.

Crown counsel Larissa Burgess said Guishard continued driving after hitting the Swans and collided "head on" with a car driven by Lee-Ann Harvey causing her car to spin and land in the other lane. The defendant finally stopped the car in Terceira's and an ambulance came to the scene.

Ms Burgess said: "As a result of the accident, Ercinda Swan sustained swelling to the posterior aspect of the right elbow, two overlying lacerations posteriorly and on the face superficial laceration to the upper left lip.

"Mr. Swan sustained pain to the neck and knees. Lee-Ann Harvey sustained a soft tissue injury to her left knee and right hand."

Police arrested Guishard as he sat in his car. Asked if he had been drinking, he said: "Yes, I had a few".

At the Hamilton Police Station, an alco-analyser revealed Guishard at 228 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millimetres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

Guishard's lawyer Larry Scott said his client lived in the UK but came back to Bermuda to take care of his elderly mother. He added that Guishard has a partner in the UK who was recently "taken into doctor's care".

"I don't think he's likely to see a bar anywhere in the future. He is a man of otherwise previous good character. He is not a person who ought to be in prison.

"This, I think, is a serious case because the courts will appreciate that these kind of things happened too frequently in Bermuda, but it's not one of those on the higher tier of bad behaviour. I think this falls in the lower tier."

Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves said: "The court has heard the guilty pleas of the defendant and takes that into account. The court also takes his before now clean record into account and his expression of remorse. This is a case where the defendant was two times over the legal limit. This is a serious aggravating factor."

The judge sentenced Guishard to 12 months for causing grievous bodily harm to Mrs. Swan and he was also given six months for causing actual bodily harm to Mr. Swan. The sentences will run concurrently.

Charges of driving drunk and causing actual bodily harm to Ms Harvey will remain on file and will not be pursued.