Dangerous driver had friends "fearing for their lives"

Sunday 22 September 2019

A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 140 hours of community service, a suspended prison sentence and a five year driving ban after driving dangerously without insurance - putting his friends' lives on the line.

Brandon Smale had spent 27 June co-driving his friend, who offered to let the defendant borrow his car that evening.

At 02:00 the following morning, Smale drove the car without any third-party insurance to pick up another friend. The court heard how that friend had asked the defendant to stop the car and let him out, because he was driving too fast.

However, they continued on their journey and picked up a second passenger. Whilst driving down Rectory Hill, the two witnesses claimed the vehicle came off the ground and came very close to hitting a wall.

Heading along St Jacques, Smale decided to turn the car's headlights off while continuing to drive, despite his friends repeatedly asking him to stop.

The defendant eventually collided with a Mercedes and then an Alpha Romeo which were parked in the area. He hit the latter so hard the vehicle moved to the other side of the road and hit a wall. Smale's car spun around and collided with another wall, causing the airbags to inflate.

In a following police interview, the defendant admitted he had been driving at about 50mph through the 25mph zone. The witnesses, who had been in the car at the time, said they had "feared for their lives".

The defendant and both witnesses quickly fled the scene after the incident, but Smale did eventually return to speak with emergency services. All three were taken to the emergency department but none suffered serious injuries.

Pictured: All three were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

"The episode of driving was shocking," said defence Advocate Lockwood, who noted that Smale's actions could have killed someone. "The realisation of what could have happened has caused this young man to look himself in the eye," he added.

Smale does have previous convictions, including one for careless driving.

"This was a spectacularly bad piece of driving and a spectacularly stupid piece of driving," said Judge Graeme McKerrell. "Most stupid of all was you did all this while other people were in the car.

"You are old enough to know better. It is time for you to grow up."

Pictured: Smale was given a suspended prison sentence.

The defendant was given a six month suspended prison sentence for the dangerous driving offence, which he will have to serve if he commits another crime in Guernsey within the next two years. He was also disqualified from driving any motor vehicle for the next five years.

For driving without insurance, Smale was given 140 hours of community service as a direct alternative to months in prison, which he will have to serve if he doesn't complete his order.

"You came extraordinarily close to going straight to prison today," added Judge McKerrell.

Pictured top: Guernsey's Royal Court House.