A drink and drug driver who fled the scene of a crash in Whippingham back in March, has been handed a suspended sentence order.
32-year-old Michael Knight pleaded guilty to 4 charges when he appeared before Magistrates on Friday morning (23rd August). He stood accused of failing to stop after a road accident, drink driving, drug driving (BZE) and driving with no insurance.
Lauren Stone, prosecuting, detailed to the court how at around 18:00 on 2nd March this year, Police were called to reports of a road traffic collision on East Cowes Road involving 2 vehicles, with 2 occupants of a Ford Focus seen to leave the scene of the crash.
Magistrates heard how officers arrived to find a car with heavy front-end damage having collided with a telegraph pole some 20m further up the road. A vehicle check led those responding officers to the registered keeper’s address – also on East Cowes Road – where they discovered Knight.
He initially denied being the driver, but others at the property disclosed that Knight and another male had in fact been out in the car. In interview, Knight admitted to Police that he was ‘worried and scared’ and that is why he made initial denials.
The court heard that the 32-year-old has 17 previous convictions for 22 offences including drink driving in 2009 and 2011. His most recent conviction was in June this year for being drunk and disorderly.
Given his antecedent history, the case adjourned until today so that a pre-sentence report could be compiled.
At the sentencing hearing, Knight admitted 2x failing to comply with the requirements of a community order by failing to complete an online course and failing to attend unpaid work appointments on 13th and 20th July.
Defending, Oscar Vincent, told the court that Knight – who provides not only for himself but for his father – was terrified of going to custody admitting that if was to be sent to prison he’d ‘lose everything’. In regard the breach of his community order, Vincent said that Knight had his priorities in the wrong place at that time.
After lengthy deliberations, Magistrates handed Knight an 8-week prison sentence suspended for 18-months. He was ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation activity days and a 6-month drug rehabilitation requirement.
Knight was banned from the roads for 30-months and saw a further 37-hours added to his current unpaid work order. Knight was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £154 surcharge fee.
Our Roads will NEVER be safe until drink or drug
drivers are locked up.
Lifetime Bans should also be considered.
Should of let K. I. T. T drive
’17 previous convictions for 22 offences’
It’s amazing how many ‘last chances’ we read about people like this being given.
This man has proved that he considers it acceptable to drive while drunk and or drugged, has proved incapable of complying with commmunity sentences and is happy to risk causing death or serious injury to someone while carrying no insurance so they would have no recourse when they are mown down by him. He is almost guaranteed to breach his suspended sentence. I suggest he doesn’t leave home without a toothbrush for some years to come.