28-MONTH BAN FOR DRUG DRIVER WHO TOOK TODDLER ON POLICE PURSUIT

23-year-old Cameron Goodman-Wright, a drug driver who led Police on a short pursuit with his 18-month-old child in the car, has been banned from the roads for 28 months. Goodman-Wright, of Prince Street, appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on 6th October where he admitted drug driving and failing to stop. He appeared before Magistrates again last Firday for sentencing. The court previously heard that on 11th June this year, at around 11:30, Police received reports of a vehicle of interest being driven in the Ryde area. Whilst travelling around, an on-duty Road Policing officer noticed the vehicle – a BMW 3-series convertible – passing him. He immediately turned around and followed the vehicle along Brading Road, flashing his lights and signalling for the driver of the German motor to stop. Instead of stopping his vehicle and pulling over, Goodman-Wright continued to travel along Brading Road without stopping, missing the traffic lights on the junction with Great Preston Road by heading through the forecourt of Westridge Garage. The 23-year-old then proceeded to head along Great Preston Road before diving down Smallbrook Lane. Further down the road, near the railway bridge, Goodman-Wright admitted defeat, signalling to the pursuing officer by waving his hands out the window. A roadside drugs wipe was conducted in a layby which returned a positive reading for cannabis. It was here that officers noticed that Goodman-Wright had a passenger – his 18-month-old daughter. Blood tests conducted at Newport Police Station showed that the cannabis in the 23-year-old’s system was more than double the prescribed limit. All of Goodman-Wright’s previous convictions are vehicle-related. He was previously disqualified from the roads for 2 years for totting (exceeding the points limit on his licence). Taking a pre-sentence report into account, Magistrates handed Cameron Goodman-Wright a 28-month driving ban and made him subject to a 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work attached. He was ordered to pay £85 costs with a £114 surcharge.