A Newport man with a lengthy criminal record dating back some 16 years has been handed a 12-month community order and ordered to pay compensation after smashing up 3 vehicles and fleeing from Police.
30-year-old Harry Turnbull, of Westminster Lane in Newport, appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with 1 count of criminal damage and failing to stop when directed to by a Police constable – charges he pleaded guilty to. The case had been previously sent up to the Crown Court in January of this year.
The Magistrates Court heard that on 6th November 2021, Turnbull was captured on CCTV alighting from a vehicle on Pallance Road, Cowes. The footage captured Turnbull then using a baseball bat to cause damage to a Citroen Saxo, a Skoda Fabia and a Ford Focus. The incident was also captured on the dashcam of a local taxi.
Police were alerted and a search began for a white Vauxhall Astra, which was subsequently located in the car park of the Ambassador Club in Gunville. As Police clocked the vehicle, shouts of “Harry, go go” could be heard. Police had blocked the vehicle in to the rear but Turnbull drove over a grass bank to make good his escape.
Police were unable to pursue the Astra as they were not in a suitable vehicle, the prosecution explained. The suspect car was later located.
Defending, Jim Osborne said his client did not want matters to be discussed in an open court and requested a pre-sentence report to be completed by Probation. However, Turnbull failed to supply any information to the Probation Service.
In reporting back to the bench, Mary Read from Probation said that Turnbull had politely said he did not want to discuss the offences and that there was ‘no point’ as he would rather serve a prison sentence.
Magistrates heard that Harry Turnbull had a lengthy criminal record dating back to when he was just 14-years-old, with offences including violence against police, the public and intimate partners, as well as illegal driving, possession of an offensive weapon, disorder and criminal damage.
Despite a history of not complying with Probation, Magistrates handed Harry Turnbull a 12-month community order with 240 hours of unpaid work attached. They also ordered him to pay £2,852 compensation, £85 costs and a £95 surcharge.
This low life should have his testicles removed!!!That will calm him down….
A slap on the wrist then.
Went to middle school with this guy. Was a douche then, seems like a douche now.