A lorry driver who ploughed into stationary traffic on the A14 at Stowmarket has been fined and handed nine penalty points on his licence.

Eugene O'Connor, 69, appeared at Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention following the crash in April this year.

O'Connor was driving a DAF truck on the A14 westbound at Stowmarket on April 12 when he crashed into a number of stationary vehicles on the carriageway.

Witnesses described the lorry travelling towards the queuing traffic at speed before making contact with vehicles, Mark Milkovics, prosecuting, told magistrates.

Several people reported injuries such as whiplash, as well as back and neck problems, the court heard.

The court heard a summary of a victim impact statement, in which a woman described her injuries and said her car had been written off.

O'Connor told officers that he was looking at his speedometer at the time of the crash, following an issue with his truck, the court heard.

O'Connor, of Falcon Way, Watford, Hertfordshire, who was not represented in court, told magistrates he had held his HGV licence since 1992.

He said he had been experiencing problems with his truck, which had been suffering from reduced power due to fuel starvation.

At times, the lorry was slowing down to around 25mph or 30mph on the dual carriageway, O'Connor told magistrates.

O'Connor said that he had previously had to stop on the A14 to allow traffic to pass, due to his slow speed.

He added that his attention was split between the speedometer and the road at the time due to the issue.

Magistrates were told O'Connor had stopped driving since the incident and had not renewed his licence.

O'Connor had no previous convictions and previously held a clean driving licence.

Magistrates said they took into account his previous clean driving licence but told O'Connor that several cars were damaged and several people were hurt.

They added that he had not been paying proper attention on the road that day.

O'Connor was handed nine points on his driving licence and fined £145.

He was also ordered to pay court costs of £105 and a victim surcharge of £34.