A DRINK driver who killed a motorcyclist in a Dorset crash could have his prison sentence extended.

Dumitru Radu, 27, was jailed for five-and-a-half years by a judge last month.

Radu, of no fixed abode, was almost twice the drink-drive limit and "fiddling with his phone" when he failed to stop the Volkswagen Sharan he was driving at West Overcliff Drive's junction with West Cliff Road, Bournemouth, on the morning of May 26, 2019.

He crashed with motorcyclist Colin Lazenbury, who went on to collide with a car travelling in the opposite direction.

Mr Lazenbury, 54, was rushed to hospital but died from the injuries he sustained around seven weeks later.

Radu was jailed at Salisbury Crown Court by Judge Robert Pawson on October 18 having previously pleaded guilty to a charge of causing death by driving dangerously.

Now a request has been made to the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to assess the case through the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

Law officers at the AGO have up to 28 days after the sentencing hearing to consider the case and decide whether it should be referred to the Court of Appeal, where it could possibly be increased by a senior judge.

The fatal crash took place on May 26, 2019, but, as reported, Salisbury Crown Court heard bringing Radu to justice was delayed as he fled the country following an initial arrest.

Dorset Echo: The location of the crash in BournemouthThe location of the crash in Bournemouth

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges for Radu in December 2019, but information was received that it was believed the defendant, a Moldovan national with a Polish passport, had left the country.

Following enquiries and assistance from the National Crime Agency and International Crime Coordination Centre, a European Arrest Warrant was secured.

Radu was arrested in Germany on June 1 of this year and subsequently extradited to the United Kingdom to appear before the courts.

Meanwhile, the inquest into the death of Mr Lazenbury will not be resumed after the conclusion of criminal proceedings.

Senior coroner for Dorset Rachael Griffin said after receiving a notification that the criminal matter had finished, she had to consider whether there was sufficient reason to resume the inquest.

“Having consulted interested persons, there are no objections to my provisional view not to resume the inquest," said Mrs Griffin during a hearing at Bournemouth town hall on Wednesday, November 3.

"Accordingly, this inquest will not be resumed.”