A YOUNG driver who left a 15-year-old schoolgirl with a serious brain injury after “showing off to young women” in his car has been jailed.

Lloyd Moss’ Volkswagen Polo careered off the road, flipping and rolling over before crashing into trees on the A467 in Abertillery.

The defendant, who was aged 20 at the time, had smoked cannabis and drank cider before the collision at around 10.15pm on March 1.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how Moss had been carrying 18-year-old Jacob Barron and three young female passengers in the Polo that night.

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Jason Howells, prosecuting, said the defendant’s driving prior to the crash was described by one of them as “really fast and silly”.

Another passenger told police how Moss had been turning the headlights of the car on and off and was “showing off”.

At one stage the defendant stopped in a layby and became “mad” because he couldn’t find his Viagra.

Mr Howells told the court Moss lost control after nearly colliding with another vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.

He said: “The defendant’s car left the road, flipping and rolling several times whilst colliding with trees and posts and sending glass and bodywork from it into the air – some of it hitting their vehicle.”

Other road users immediately went to help.

One was a nurse called Joanne Curry who saw the 15-year-old girl “slumped over, in and out of consciousness and with her face covered in blood”.

She used an oxygen cylinder from her car on her and tried to comfort her while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

The girl was taken to Cwmbran’s Grange University Hospital and she lost consciousness.

She woke up several days later, having suffered a severe brain injury requiring 24-hour hospital treatment.

The schoolgirl also sustained a fractured skull, jaw, eye socket and collarbone.

Mr Barron suffered lung, chest and abdominal injuries.

The defendant himself was treated for a collapsed lung.

Moss tested positive for cannabis following a drug wipe test at the scene and police found alcohol, a cannabis grinder and Tramadol tablets inside the car.

The defendant, now 21, of Cae Canol, Hengoed, Caerphilly, admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one charge of dangerous driving.

Mr Howells said Moss had a previous conviction for drug driving and possession of a class B drug.

Martin Sharpe, representing the defendant, an apprentice electrician, told the court: “He wants to apologise to his victims.

“He has said, ‘I regret my decision every day. I realise it could have been a lot worse and I could have ended up killing someone.’

“The defendant was showing off to young women or girls.”

Mr Sharpe asked the court to take into account his client’s guilty pleas and young age.

Judge David Wynn Morgan told Moss: “You ignored the warnings that people made to you to slow down and stop driving in the way that you were doing.

“Your general manner of driving overall was absolutely disgraceful.

“One of the mitigating features is the fact that you yourself were injured as a result of your own folly.”

The defendant was jailed for 18 months.

He was banned from driving for five years and ordered to take an extended retest if he wants to regain his licence.