Young electrician fined £1,200 for car flip

Wednesday 05 December 2018

A 20-year-old apprentice electrician narrowly avoided having his driving licence endorsed for flipping his car in an accident blackspot after the Magistrate's Court noted the island needed qualified electricians.

Alexander Ian Cornish was instead fined £1,200 for the accident by Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris yesterday.

The accident happened on 29 August, when Cornish had been driving his Ford Fiesta on Rue du Pont de Marquet in the direction of Red Houses.

The Court heard that he entered the accident black spot on the road carefully. However, shortly after he accelerated and slightly touched his brakes on a left-hand bend, he lost control of the vehicle, which ended up tipped on its side on the other side of the road, facing oncoming traffic. 

No one was injured in the accident and Cornish himself was able to escape the vehicle. No cars or vehicles were around at the time.

Pictured: The accident happened as Cornish took a bend.

Advocate Michael Haines, defending, explained that the accident had been due to a momentary misjudgment. He said Cornish had increased his speed after going through the black spot to go around the corner and then accelerated some more to go up the hill. He described Cornish as having lacked judgment but added that he drives on Rue du Pont de Marquet every day to go to work and had never previously had any issues.

He denied that Cornish had lost control, adding that the surface was slightly wet the morning of the accident.

After hearing that Cornish was an apprentice electrician, the Assistant Magistrate asked him if he was close to being qualified. Cornish said he was in his last year after which Mr Harris added: "The island needs qualified electricians and qualified electricians need their car to get to work."

Rue Du Pont Marquet & Rue Du Mans, St Brélade will be closed for some time after a single vehicle RTC. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/m4YobXYNWK

— Jersey Fire & Rescue (@JsyFire) August 29, 2018

Showing Cornish pictures of his car lying on its side, the Assistant Magistrate said: "That says it all, doesn't it?" Shortly after, he added that the accident could have been "a lot worse".

He urged the young driver to take extra care when driving before fining him £1,200 for the accident. If Cornish doesn't pay, he could be face a four-month prison sentence.

The Assistant Magistrate said he wouldn't endorse Cornish's licence but warned him he wouldn't get a second chance. "Now you have a conviction, you can't be a first offender," he told Cornish.

Lead photo: Fire and Rescue Service.