A driver behind the wheel of a van “in an appalling condition” knocked down a pedestrian “he did not see while driving at speed”. Nottingham Crown Court heard how the vehicle drug addict Jeremy Taylor was driving was faulty when he hit the victim outside the defendant’s home address.
The man the 52-year-old struck ended up under the vehicle and “could have been seriously injured or killed” but thankfully only suffered cuts and grazes to his body. Now, Taylor has been handed a suspended sentence order for his actions.
Judge Michael Auty KC said: “This took place a long time ago now in 2023. I don’t know how it has taken this long to come to court but there has been no future offending.
“You were in a van which was not yours but was plainly in an appalling condition and plainly unsafe. The brakes were at best barely functioning and were likely to fail in the near future.
“I’m not sure how you hit (the victim) but it seems you did not see him at all. You clipped him and he ended up under the van. He could have been more seriously injured than he was or even killed.”
Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting, said the offence happened at around 2pm on May 1, 2023. She said the victim was crossing the road in Stockwell Gate, Mansfield when the van being driven by the defendant “at speed” turned into Stockwell Court and hit the pedestrian.
The prosecutor said: “It caused him to fall and he went to the floor. The police arrived and the defendant identified himself and failed a drug swipe.
“He said he was unable to brake and the examiner’s report found the brakes would have failed for anyone driving the vehicle. He said he just did not see him.”
The defendant, of Stockwell Court, Mansfield, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. He has a number of previous convictions “mainly for drug possession,” the judge said. His last time before the court was in 2020 for driving without due care and attention, the prosecutor said.
Laura Pitman, mitigating, said: “He’s 52, he’s not getting any younger and things will look pretty dire for him. He hopes this time he can get the help to rid himself of his drug addiction.”
Judge Auty handed Taylor a six month prison term, suspended for two years, with nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement and 35 rehabilitation sessions. He also disqualified him from driving for two years.