Dangerous driving? 'Donut' even think about it, says Magistrate

Friday 03 February 2017

A 17-year-old girl who was found guilty of performing ‘donuts’, wheel spins and handbrake turns near members of the public - despite not having a driving licence - has been handed 130 hours of community service.

The sentence, Magistrate Bridget Shaw said, should cause other young people to understand that, “…the Court will not tolerate” dangerous “stunt” driving.

In yesterday’s sitting, the Magistrate's Court heard how, last August, the teenager had darted down Albert Pier at “high speed, high revs” before turning into the parking area where she had attempted 360-degree car spins, amongst other dangerous moves.

At around 22:44 the owner of a café on the quay notified the Police of the erratic driving.

It was only when a Jersey Security Bureau vehicle blocked the Renault’s Clio's exit that the car stopped in its tracks.

The girl subsequently admitted that she had performed the “stunt”-style driving, which lasted around 5-6 minutes, without insurance or a valid licence.

But Advocate Chris Austin, defending, argued against a tough sentence on the girl, with her hazardous actions, “put down to youth, inexperience and bad decision-making in the spur of the moment.”

He also stated that, “…the speed that could have been achieved in that vicinity although above appropriate was more limited than in the case of an open area with a longer stretch of road.”

Magistrate Shaw maintained, however, that the offence was of a “serious” nature, and aggravated by the presence of three passengers: the car’s 19-year-old owner, and two 17-year-old passengers in the back.

“[There is] no reason why somebody should suffer injury, possibly serious injury or quite possibly be killed because you want to mess around… You have to grasp how serious driving is and what a risk bad driving can pose to innocent people and members of the public,” she said.

She added: “Albert Quay is not your private playground, and must not be used as that.”

With mitigating factors including a recent bereavement, a remorseful letter, and the girl’s low risk of reoffending, she was handed 130 hours of community service and a driving disqualification of 12 months.

In delivering her sentence, Magistrate Shaw reminded her that, “…if you’d had an accident and hurt someone, you’d be regretting this for the rest of your life.”

“You shouldn’t have asked to do it or agreed to do it. You’ve absolutely no driving experience… In my view, this was a deliberate disregard for the safety of others,” she said, adding that the offence may have constituted a custodial sentence were the defendant older.

Nonetheless, in summing up, Magistrate Shaw offered some words of comfort:

“[This is] a very disturbing experience for you - I can see that - but it’s not the end of the world. It is one thing that has gone seriously wrong, [and] it was a very foolish thing to do over a very short period of time.

“I hope you go on to have a very successful future, and a very productive future, and you don’t let this hold you back.

“Just make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”