A drink-driver who flipped his former partner’s car after taking it without permission tried to walk away from the crash scene because he “had somewhere to be”.
Scott Leonard Charles Furlong was stopped by a member of the public, who told him: “You are not going anywhere. You have to stay with the vehicle.”
The 41-year-old has been jailed for 15 months and banned from driving for five years after admitting a string of motoring offences arising from the early-morning crash on 7 May.
The Royal Court heard that Furlong had been drinking the night before and did not have a valid driving licence or insurance when he took his former partner’s Ford Fiesta without her consent.
Police, paramedics and firefighters were called to the single-vehicle collision near the Rice Bowl on La Route de la Côte at around 6am.
Unclear if he was “in shock, high or drunk”
Residents had heard a “loud screeching noise” followed by a crash before seeing the Fiesta upside down in the road.
The collision caused “significant damage” to the front of the car and to a wall leading onto the slipway.
Furlong kicked through the driver’s-side window to escape, grabbed his rucksack and began walking away.
He was stopped by a member of the public, who described him as appearing “vacant” and said he wasn’t sure if Furlong “was in shock, if he was high or drunk”.
After Furlong explained that he “had somewhere to be”, the witness replied: “You are not going anywhere. You have to stay with the vehicle.”
Furlong remained sitting on a nearby wall until police arrived and admitted being the driver.
A breath test recorded 60 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath – almost twice the legal limit of 35.
“You haven’t got a licence or insurance”
The car belonged to Furlong’s former partner, who had been helping him move his belongings from her home to his new address.
She went to bed at around midnight after Furlong had been drinking. When he suggested driving her car, she told him: “No you won’t. You haven’t got a licence or insurance.”
During his police interview, Furlong said the pair had argued and separated the previous night. He took the car to move belongings and crashed while returning to her home.
He admitted having no licence, insurance or permission to use the vehicle, and said he still felt drunk when he woke that morning.
The court heard that Furlong had received a four-year driving ban in 2017 and had never applied for another licence.
Crown Advocate Lauren Taylor called for an 18-month prison sentence and a six-year driving ban.
“I’ve lost my girlfriend, my flat and my belongings”
Advocate James Bell, defending, said Furlong offered his “sincere apologies for his very poor judgment”.
He described the offending as a spontaneous and “spur-of-the-moment” series of poor decisions, arguing that all five charges arose from the same incident.
He also pointed out that Furlong had immediately admitted being the driver, made full admissions during his police interview and that nobody had been injured.
In a letter to the court, Furlong wrote: “It was a reckless act. I’ve been thinking about what I’ve done since being in prison.
“This has been the most emotionally painful act as I was trying to form a relationship with [his former partner], but alcohol kept getting in the way.
“Now I’ve lost my girlfriend, my flat and my belongings.”
The court heard that Furlong had struggled with his mental health and had previously used alcohol to make himself feel better or block things out.
His former partner said she believed Furlong was beginning to understand that asking for help was not a weakness and that he needed to participate actively in securing a different future.
Deputy Bailiff Mark Temple KC imposed a slightly shorter sentence than the Crown had requested.
Furlong was jailed for 15 months and disqualified from driving for five years.
