Teenage crash driver jumped bail and ran away to Army
A TEENAGER who crashed a car at Pleinheaume Road, Vale, more than two years ago jumped police bail and joined the Army, the Magistrate’s Court was told.
Liam Simon, 19, of 3, Hebdon Approach, Leeds, was arrested when he handed himself in to police on 4 September after returning to Guernsey for family reasons.
As well as the bail offence, he admitted charges of dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and failing to stop after an accident.
He was jailed for a total of eight months and banned from driving for three years.
The crash happened at about 10.15pm on 25 June 2016.
Advocate Rory Calderwood, prosecuting, said a man who had been in the front passenger seat declined to help police.
It was known that he had suffered a punctured lung in the crash but had made a full recovery.
Advocate Calderwood read statements from three women who were rear seat passengers in the car.
One said the defendant had been travelling at between 60 and 70mph prior to the vehicle hitting a wall and spinning in the road.
The women said the defendant’s driving had been fast and ‘out of control’ and all were scared.
One recalled burying her head after seeing him let go of the steering wheel, which began to spin.
A cyclist reported hearing a loud engine noise and seeing the vehicle hit the wall with substantial impact at high speed.
The driver got out of the car and shouted to his passengers to get out before he ran off.
A police dog handler was called but the defendant could not be found. He was arrested at his home the following day.
He gave no-comment responses to questions in interview and was bailed to return the following day but never did.
Advocate Sarah Morgan said her client had been in custody since 5 September. He recalled very little of the incident.
He saw that a car was being given away on Facebook and had decided to take it off the owner’s hands.
He was extremely remorseful and had suffered a chaotic childhood.
He had had problems at school, with little by way of formal education.
He had left the Army after five months and needed to present himself by May or face courts martial proceedings.
Judge Graeme McKerrell said the defendant was fortunate that he had not killed someone.
The manner of his driving had been highly dangerous and utterly stupid.
He had compounded it by leaving the jurisdiction to avoid facing the music.
He had a terrible record and this was his third conviction for driving without insurance and second for driving while disqualified.
