"Utterly stupid" driver brought to justice after fleeing for two years

Saturday 06 October 2018

Two years after crashing a car at around 60mph, injuring four passengers and then feeing the scene, Liam Simon, 19, has been sentenced to youth detention.

Simon was given a total of eight months, but was only able to be brought to justice this week, two years after his actions, because he fled the island to the UK and joined the British Army after the incident.

He then deserted the army during training because he wanted to tie up loose ends with his son, whom he had when he was 15, and it was then, when he returned to Guernsey, that he decided to turn himself in. 

The car crash itself happened on 25 July 2016, when Simon was driving in the south of the island. At the time, he did not have a licence, was not insured and was also banned from driving on the roads by the island's courts - but he had got the car off someone who was giving it away on Facebook.

He then drove it with four passengers in the car; one male in the front and three females in the back.

One of those females gave a statement to the court which said Simon was driving fine at first, but then sped up to around 60 or 70mph. He was swerving around corners, despite the girls asking him repeatedly to slow down. Then, he hit a wall and the vehicle spun out, before colliding again with another wall. The female passengers were thrown around, and said they hit their heads hard together and into the side of the car. One said they blacked out. 

A cyclist who witnessed the crash said he saw Simon get out of the driver's seat, shout "everyone out" and then run away, leaving the passengers injured inside the car.

The male passenger refused to cooperate with the police investigation, but it was said he suffered a punctured lung. 

Simon also had what Judge Graeme McKerrell described as a "terrible record for someone so young", with multiple previous convictions for motoring offences.

While his defence advocate tried to argue the time Simon had spent out of the island in the army had helped to make him a better person, which is why he now felt genuine remorse and had turned himself in, Judge McKerrell said this did not excuse his actions from two years ago, when he fled.

"You are fortunate you didn't kill anyone," he said.

"Your driving was highly dangerous and utterly stupid, so those matters alone could have seen you going to youth detention. But you left the island in a cowardly way to avoid facing the music.

"You did hand yourself in, and that is the only positive thing I can say. Your offences are so serious that I think immediate custody is only appropriate."

Overall, Simon received two months youth detention for breaching bail, three months for dangerous driving, two months for driving with a disqualification and one month for leaving the scene of an accident. He also got a three year driving ban. 

He also still has to deal with the army, who have been pursuing him since he left.