A DRIVER who left a couple with horrendous injuries after slamming into their car at almost double the speed limit has had his jail term nearly halved on appeal.

Uninsured Nathan Jenkins, 27, was "showing off" as he raced around a corner at 70mph in a 30mph zone near Oakdale.

He ploughed into the car of married couple, Sian and Alan Williams, London's Appeal Court heard today.

Jenkins, of Hengoed, was jailed for six years at Newport Crown Court, last June, after he admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

But three top judges at London's Appeal Court today upheld a sentence challenge by the serial offender.

They said his jail term was excessive - and slashed it to three years and seven months.

Lord Justice Treacy said Mr and Mrs Williams were heading home on the B4251, near Oakdale, when Jenkins came speeding around a corner on the evening of May 14, 2013.

Jenkins's vehicle careered into the wrong lane and slammed head-on into their car. Those who saw the scene in the aftermath described it as "horrific".

CCTV footage showed Jenkins travelling at 73mph shortly before the collision, with an off-duty police officer who'd observed his driving blasting the "idiocy" of his actions.

Mr and Mrs Williams and Jenkins, formerly of Oakdale, all had to be cut from their vehicles.

Mr Williams, 58, suffered a broken arm, an open fracture to his leg, smashed ribs, a fractured ankle and other serious injuries, which left him wheelchair-bound for some time.

His wife, 51, had a shattered arm, cracked ribs, a punctured lung and nerve damage, spending two days in intensive care and three more in a high dependency unit. The accident had a devastating impact on the couple, with Mr Williams saying: "We no longer have our health.

"We have no vehicle; we are financially drained. Both of our lives are dramatically changed forever."

Jenkins also admitted driving without insurance and driving without a full licence.

The judge who jailed him said he'd been "showing off" and had not learned from an earlier accident.

He had previous convictions for 23 offences, including for driving without due care and attention, driving without insurance and failing to stop after an accident.

Jenkins was handed two terms of three years' imprisonment, each to run consecutive, for the serious injury counts. He was also disqualified from driving for 10 years.

On appeal, his lawyers argued that his overall punishment was far too tough.

Lord Justice Treacy, sitting with Mrs Justice Swift and Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, agreed, saying: "It seems to us that Jenkins' point is a good one.

"Consecutive sentences should not have been imposed."

He concluded: "We allow this appeal by quashing the sentences imposed below.

"In their place, we impose concurrent sentences of three years and seven months on each count".