An Isle of Wight man who crashed into a house in Seaview and tried to flee the scene has been disqualified from driving – again.
32-year-old James Simon Birchenough, of no fixed abode, appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon charged with driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.
Liz Miller, prosecuting, told the court that at just before 01:00 on 2nd June, Police were called to Salterns Road in Seaview when a Mitshubishi Evo crashed into a house.
Officers arrived on the scene to find a man stood beside a car appearing to be in drink. The car had been moved around 15 metres from the crash site, which Magistrates heard was as a result of Birchenough attempting to leave the scene of the crash – but the vehicle broke down.
Although a roadside breath test was carried out and indicated a reading of 60, a charge relating to this was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Birchenough, who has been living in his car for around 9 months, was around 9 months into a 12-month driving ban at the time of the crash.
Defending, the accused’s solicitor explained how her client doesn’t know why he drove that night. He had been living in his car as a result of struggling with homelessness and was saving to get his driving licence back. He is said to have been engaging with probation over previous offences.
It’s known that Birchenough had been living at Attrills Lane near Nettlestone, which sparked an incident back in February this year as previously reported by Island Echo.
Magistrates handed down a 6-month driving ban alongside a 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation days attached. James Birchenough was also ordered to pay £85 costs with a £95 surcharge.
litany of excuses for his behaviour – should have a new home – a cell.
Well he won’t be paying the fines anytime soon, this chap hasn’t got any money. He said he was saving to get his license back?!?!?!?!? Crashing into a poor persons house…what have these idiots got for a brain when they think it’s ok to get in a car with no license, no insurance and and pi**ed up? No bloody brain or common sense whatsoever. Should have been given jail time. Maybe he could get help then he wouldn’t have to live in his car.
It’s these kind of idiots that make everyone’s life hell, what is he contributing to society?
These punishments are clearly working….
6 month driving ban to a banned driver .The world as gone mad !
Oh come on what’s up with the courts the sort of drivers kill no more driving for this guy please
Is that an actual photo of the offending vehicle? M60 EVO might be considered a valuable asset for someone who would align themselves with a similarly branded object.
Lock him up before he kills someone.
Absolutely wrong sorry but all us out there trying to make ends meet abiding to the law will pay for more insurance for this ,wot does this say to us ,do what you like and not give a s__t because unless the law is better wot is the point
So I was banned from driving for 1 year for riding a push bike along a one way street but he can drink drive whilst on a ban (prisonable offence as far as I’m aware) and crash into someone’s house whilst uninsured?????????? So the moral of the story is drink or take drugs and you will be let off
Now tell us the truth, being drunk in charge of a peddle cycle is not punishable by a ban it is only a fine but the rest of your story i totally agree with.
Destroy the pratt’s car and ban him for life
I think the guy already done the first part for the Court. but yeah the sentencing was way too light, especially for drink driver, not insured, and no licence.
Could we not all start a campaign to get rid of these useless magistrates? They let repeat offenders free to carry on offending putting us all at risk. It is time for these incompetent magistrates to go.
take the car and crush it simple…. why is there a problem…
These types seem to obtain cars and just carry on driving without any regard for the law. So wrong. Magistrates need to toughen up on these wasters.
Vehicle is SORN and no MOT so shouldn’t be on the public highway at all.
Apparently he’s been living there for months. I wonder what ‘facilities’ he’s using?
The fields it was when dogs were being poisoned from eating human faeces containing cannabis
Well that is completely incorrect. If you want to point fingers you might want to get your story straight. This car is on a private farmers field so for you to say such a thing like this is messed up.