A joyrider, who jumped into a gardening crew’s van as they tended a roundabout and mounted the kerb and jumped red lights as he tried to evade police, was jailed for six months today and banned from the roads.
Gavin Stewart, 28, of Holmesdale Road, Selhurst pleaded guilty to taking and driving away the Iveco van on May 18, last year and driving dangerously in Shirley Road (pictured) and Elmers End Road.
Prosecutor Mr. Julius Capon told the Croydon Crown Court it was 9:20am when Stewart suddenly jumped into the vehicle as the gardening crew worked on the Shirley Road roundabout.
“The police were called and a few minutes later approached the van, but the defendant drove off and there was a slow-speed pursuit.
“The van mounted the kerb and then went on the wrong side of the road and on the right side of a keep-left bollard,” explained Mr. Capon. “The van also went through red lights before the police eventually stopped Stewart.
“He accepted he was caught red-handed in the van and said it was a spur of the moment act of stupidity.”
Stewart was charged, but jumped bail and spent Christmas in custody after magistrates jailed him for fourteen days.
Judge Simon Pratt sentenced him to six months for dangerous driving, plus two months concurrent for taking and driving away.
Stewart was fined £500 with the alternative of five days served for driving without insurance and was disqualified from driving for twelve months.
“There was clearly danger caused to the public and it remains good fortune nobody was injured or that there was no damage to property,” the Judge told him.
No comments:
Post a Comment