Jail for driver who crashed four days after being banned

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday a driving instructor was halfway through giving a lesson at about 10.15am on April 11 when he noticed a BMW being driven “erratically and dangerously”.

Other traffic was doing about 20mph in Roundhay Road, Leeds, but he saw it approaching his vehicle from behind at speed before the driver, Philip Leach, suddenly swerved across the road and collided with the side of a Honda Jazz car.

Adam Beaumont, prosecuting, said the BMW then pulled in front of the instructor and continued at speed again until it swerved into the oncoming carriageway and struck a Honda Accord, bringing both vehicles to a standstill.

Leach was helped from the car and put into a recovery position and it was then noticed he smelled of drink. He was treated in hospital and the driver of the Accord also needed treatment for injuries to his back and chest.

Mr Beaumont said Leach had appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on April 7 for driving while disqualified and received a four-month suspended prison sentence. The BMW had been reported missing by its owner a few hours before the collisions.

Leach, 32, of Scott Hall Terrace, Leeds, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified and breaching the suspended sentence order.

Jailing him for a total of 22 months and banning him from driving for two years, the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC, said Leach had a dreadful record of 81 offences over 34 court appearances.

Magistrates were only persuaded to suspend his sentence last month because he had indicated to a probation officer he knew that such driving could cause mayhem on the streets and wanted to change.

But before that could be explored with him further, the judge told Leach: “Four days later you got drunk, went out taking a car and caused that mayhem in the street spoken of, colliding with two cars and causing a serious injury to one person.”

Adrian Pollard, for Leach, said the defendant realised a jail term was inevitable and he was fortunate not to have killed someone.