Delivery driver fined £1k for battered car crash

Friday 07 February 2020

A 19-year-old delivery driver has been fined over £1,000 after crashing his battered vehicle, which had a faulty airbag and missing mirror, into another car while speeding.

Afonso Miguel Alves Pires’ driving licence was also endorsed for three years.

He appeared in Magistrate’s Court yesterday, facing a total of 12 motoring offences. The majority of the charges involved defects with his Honda Civic, and also included driving without due care and attention, and speeding.

Relief Magistrate Sarah Fitz heard that on 23 August 2019, at around 22:45, Pires was driving on la Route de la Cote in St. Martin when he collided with a vehicle making a U-turn.

Pictured: The collision took place on Route de la Cote in St. Martin.

When Police arrived, Pires said he had noticed a white light in the road, but couldn’t work out what it was. When he realised it was a car, Pires tried to brake but he said they hadn’t worked properly, and therefore pulled the handbrake.

The vehicle was impounded to be inspected by DVS, and a traffic officer discovered several issues: the driver’s airbag and the offside door mirror were missing, the horn was defective as well as the lights, and the rear number had been trimmed and was not compliant with regulations. There were no issues with the brakes.

The traffic officer concluded that the car should not have been used.

On 5 January, Pires was caught driving at 53mph on the Avenue by a police officer carrying out speed checks. When the officer pointed out the offence, Pires said he hadn't noticed what speed he was driving.

Pictured: Pires was caught speeding on the Avenue.

Pires also faced two further charges relating to another vehicle, which was found at Le Braye car park in October 2019. Pires had bought the vehicle the previous month and had not registered or insured it, as he was planning to get rid of it. 

An islander contacted him to take the vehicle for a drive, under his own insurance, and left it at Le Braye. He then purchased the vehicle a couple of weeks later and Pires completed the registration.

Advocate Julian Gollop, who was representing Pires, explained that he had purchased the vehicle for £1,700 at the end of June “in good faith”, and that it was a working vehicle. He said he was not aware of any defects or alterations and that they hadn't played a part in the collision.

Since then, Advocate Gollop said Pires that done the “responsible, sensible” thing by having the vehicle repaired.

Concerning the speeding offence, Advocate Gollop said Pires accepted “perhaps he should have paid more attention to the road” and fully appreciated he “had to take more care so that those offences are not repeated”.

Pictured: Advocate Julian Gollop was representing Pires.

He explained Pires worked as a delivery driver and spent up to six hours a day driving around, noting that he “generally is a sensible, law-abiding, driver”.

Advocate Gollop gave the Court a reference letter Pires’ employer had written on his behalf, in which the employer spoke highly of him.

He reminded the Court Pires was a young offender, as he was only 19, adding that he had been cooperative with the police and pleaded guilty on the first occasion.

Returning her sentence, the Relief Magistrate noted that Pires’ actions had put himself in danger, rather than others.

She accepted the mitigation put forward by Advocate Gollop and decided to fine Pires a total of £1,090 for the various defects on his vehicle and the lack of insurance and registration. Pires agreed to pay £100 a week. 

Regarding the speeding, she opted to endorse Pires’ licence for three years rather than disqualify, and reminded Pires if he committed further driving offences in that period, he was likely to be disqualified.