Another driver faces jail - should not have been there

"A MAN who caused the death of a 67-year-old cyclist at a York roundabout
has been warned he could face jail.
Derek Duffill suffered fatal head injuries when Coffey Rowan McGuffog's
pick-up truck knocked him off his cycle near his home. McGuffog had no
licence and had obtained car insurance by twice deceiving financial
companies.

On the day he was due to stand trial, McGuffog, 40, of Lilbourne Drive,
Clifton, York, pleaded guilty to causing Mr Duffill's death while driving
without a licence. He had earlier admitted two charges of obtaining
insurance by deception.

Judge Colin Burn said: "You should be aware your driving on those terms has
resulted, without regard to the manner of your driving, in the death of
someone else. One of the options the court will be bound to consider will be
a custodial sentence of some form."

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9275...lling_cyclist/

--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

Three weeks to organise his affairs.

QUOTE:

A Polish motorist was banned from driving by a judge yesterday after he
admitted killing a passenger when his car left the road and hit a tree.
Piotr Koch will be sentenced next month after he pleaded guilty to causing
the death of 21-year-old Diana Priede during a hearing at Lincoln Crown
Court. Miss Priede, who lived in Boston, died on Saturday 30 April after the
car Koch was driving left the A52 Grantham Road near Osbournby, and entered
a field.

26-year-old Koch, from Wyberton, near Boston, was unhurt. Miss Priede, from
Latvia, was freed from the wreckage but died on her way to Pilgrim Hospital.
Two other male passengers, aged 21 and 24, were also injured. Phil Howes,
prosecuting, asked for sentence on Koch to be adjourned for three weeks so
victim impact statements could be taken from Miss Priede's family in Latvia.

Mr Howes said: "They will not be travelling to the court for the sentence so
it is important that they are taken into consideration." Liz Hart,
mitigating, told the court Koch would not be requesting a probation report
as a prison sentence was inevitable. Miss Hart added: "He knows that. There
is nothing I can not tell the court about him. He is a young man with
motoring convictions but nothing else." Judge Sean Morris granted Koch bail
until he is sentenced at the end of the October and imposed an interim
driving disqualification on him.

"You have three weeks to organise your affairs as a custodial sentence is
inevitable," Judge Morris warned Koch. "In the meantime I make an interim
disqualification from driving which means you can not drive at all. "This
was a bad error of judgement."


http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/new...rash_1_3114546

--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

Show off and get jailed.

"A BANNED motorist who was nearly twice the drink drive limit has been
jailed for causing a high speed crash, which left three other people in
hospital.

Ashley Booth was estimated to be driving at 80mph in a 30mph zone when he
crashed into the back of a stationary Seat Ibiza, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court
heard yesterday."

His red Vauxhall Astra then careered across the other side of the road and
smashed head-on into a Suzuki Alto heading in the opposite direction, before
ending up on its side.

The two women who were driving the cars which Booth crashed into suffered
cuts, bruises and fractured bones and had to be cut free from their vehicles
by firefighters.

Judge Paul Glenn said it was 'amazing' that nobody was killed in the crash,
which happened on Cheadle Road, Tean, at 6.30am on February 24.

The court heard yesterday that Booth, aged 22, of Coplow Avenue, Tean, had
only recently bought the car and was 'showing it off' prior to the crash.


http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk...ail/story.html

--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

On 20/10/2011 09:30, Simon Mason wrote:
Show off and get jailed.

"A BANNED motorist who was nearly twice the drink drive limit has been jailed
for causing a high speed crash, which left three other people in hospital.

Ashley Booth was estimated to be driving at 80mph in a 30mph zone when he
crashed into the back of a stationary Seat Ibiza, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court
heard yesterday."

His red Vauxhall Astra then careered across the other side of the road and
smashed head-on into a Suzuki Alto heading in the opposite direction, before
ending up on its side.

The two women who were driving the cars which Booth crashed into suffered
cuts, bruises and fractured bones and had to be cut free from their vehicles
by firefighters.

Judge Paul Glenn said it was 'amazing' that nobody was killed in the crash,
which happened on Cheadle Road, Tean, at 6.30am on February 24.

The court heard yesterday that Booth, aged 22, of Coplow Avenue, Tean, had
only recently bought the car and was 'showing it off' prior to the crash.


http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk...ail/story.html

Why are these stories not being posted in an appropriate newsgroup (eg,
uk.transport)?

BANNED car thief James Jools stole the BMW 320 which ploughed into Diane
Kennedy just hours before the devastating crash. Jools, and accomplice Karl
Atkinson, 19, raided two homes in Accrington during the night, as their
victims slept.
They took the car keys, drove off in the vehicles and stole petrol from
filling stations. Andrew Smith, prosecuting, said at about 4.30pm, on July
14, the defendants arrived at a house in Accrington, where a friend of
Atkinson's lived.Atkinson was bragging about his new Rover MG. Jools was
sitting in the BMW.

At about 6.30pm, Atkinson was arrested at the property. He was drunk and the
Rover keys were found.

The MG, which was damaged, was recovered.

Mr Smith told Burnley Crown Court that at about 7pm, police became aware of
the stolen BMW in Platt Close, Accrington.

They followed it and pulled alongside, but Jools sped off. Officers tried to
block the mouth of a junction in Chester Street, Accrington, and the
defendant then reversed at speed and hit a police vehicle.

Jools made off with his wheels screeching and ended up in Union Road,
Oswaldtwistle.

Police, who described the defendant's speed as 'considerable' decided to
stay a reasonable distance behind.

When they arrived in Union Road, they were met by a cloud of smoke and the
remnants of a heavy collision.

The prosecutor said Jools hit Ms Kennedy's car, ran off, but was detained
shortly after.

After the incident, Ms Kennedy had to move back in with her parents as she
struggled to do everyday tasks.

The defendants, who shared the same house in Bishop Street, Accrington, each
admitted two counts of burglary, two of theft and one of making off without
payment.

Atkinson, a 'three strike ' burglar facing a minimum of three years behind
bars, was in breach of two suspended terms of detention.

He had also been convicted of a separate offence of common assault, after he
punched a woman, and had also admitted drink driving, no insurance and no
licence. He was sent to custody for three-and-a-half years and disqualified
for 18 months.

His co-defendant Jools also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving
whilst disqualified and no insurance.

He was banned for five years, jailed for four and must take an extended
driving test.

For Atkinson, Richard Bennett said he had been drinking too much.

Kevin Preston, defending Jools, said he expressed his 'great remorse' for
his actions.


http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/ne...s_after_smash/


--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

On 07/11/2011 16:57, Simon Mason wrote:

BANNED car thief James Jools stole the BMW 320 which ploughed into Diane
Kennedy just hours before the devastating crash. Jools, and accomplice Karl
Atkinson, 19, raided two homes in Accrington during the night, as their
victims slept.
They took the car keys, drove off in the vehicles and stole petrol from
filling stations. Andrew Smith, prosecuting, said at about 4.30pm, on July
14, the defendants arrived at a house in Accrington, where a friend of
Atkinson's lived.Atkinson was bragging about his new Rover MG. Jools was
sitting in the BMW.

[ ... ]

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/ne...s_after_smash/

As a Lancastrian (ie, one who is entitled to toast The Duke of Lancaster
rather than the Monarch), I am grieved to see such an example of
semi-literacy (at best) emanating from the County Palatine.

AN UNLICENSED and uninsured driver who caused a crash that killed his
teenage girlfriend has been sent to a young offenders' institution for a
year.

Chad Butler took his mother's car without her permission to take his
girlfriend Amy Morgan to Alton Towers, Stafford Crown Court heard.But on the
way, their Ford Fiesta veered into the path of an oncoming Renault in
Denstone Lane, Alton.

In the crash, Amy, aged 17, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered a
serious neck injury. An off duty policeman, Philip Braham-Jones, travelling
in the car behind, tried to staunch the bleeding, but a doctor called to the
scene pronounced her dead.

Paul Farrow, prosecuting, said Butler was "hysterical" and shouted: "It
wasn't my fault - she was hitting me."

A couple in the Renault, local farmers Ivy and Anthony Ede, together with a
cousin, Annie Farmer, escaped with relatively minor injuries.

Butler, aged 20, of Gladstone Street, Leicester, admitted charges of causing
death by careless driving, aggravated vehicle taking and driving without
insurance. The court heard he was not even a provisional licence holder and
had never had a driving lesson.

Along with the custodial sentence, he was also banned from driving for seven
years.

Judge Michael Challinor told him: "You are responsible for all the suffering
in this court today. She was only 17 - she had her whole life ahead of her.
It's pure chance that the occupants of the other vehicle weren't killed or
seriously injured."

Mr Farrow said the crash happened on August 10. The defendant's mother was
away on holiday in Greece and had not given permission for her son to drive
her car.

Butler and Amy spent the previous night together and she had a two for the
price of one ticket to Alton Towers.

The driver of a car following the Fiesta towards the theme park noted it
drifted across the white centre line.

Mrs Ede, behind the wheel of the Renault, tried to move out of the way of
the Fiesta, but they collided and the Fiesta sustained heavy offside damage.

When questioned, Butler told police that Amy, who came from Leicester, had
been stroking his leg, he was distracted by her actions and hadn't seen the
oncoming car until it was too late.

Darron Whitehead, defending, said: "What precisely took place in that car
we'll never know, what is plain is, his attention was taken off driving."

The B5032, where the accident happened, is used by many people heading to
Alton Towers and Denstone, Rocester and Alton villagers have fought a
long-running campaign for a relief road.

Long-serving Rocester parish councillor Dennis Barlow said: "We have been
campaigning for a relief road for many years, but I do not think it will
happen because of funding. We have also been calling for the speed limit to
be reduced."

A relief road was ruled out by the owners of Alton Towers after costs
escalated to £13 million


http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk...ail/story.html


--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

"BURGLARS fleeing in a stolen van rammed police cars three times and
injured an officer in a high-speed chase along one of the region's
busiest roads. One police officer described the drama as the worst
piece of driving he had ever seen."

http://www.thisishullandeastriding.c...ail/story.html

--
Simon Mason