Driver who ploughed into tent and hurt teens gets four years

In a drunken rage after a heated argument, father-of-two Benjamin Allerton, 25, told a group camping in a field at Selby they had “five seconds to run” before driving his Peugeot van at them in the early hours of March 11.

After narrowly missing the youngsters, who were camping near the River Ouse at Selby, he then careered into a 16-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl.

The boy has had to have permanent screws inserted into his arm after suffering a fractured collar bone and broken arm, while the court heard the girl still suffers flashbacks and has “terrible nightmares”.

York Crown Court was told Allerton had initially joined the teenagers’ party but an altercation ensued when he tried to put his arm around a 13-year-old girl in her tent.

Allerton was knocked to the floor and bundled into his van and told to leave. But after brooding he returned less than an hour later and roared into the field. He careered across it at about 30mph, before giving his countdown and aiming at the tents, flattening one and running into the boy and girl as they ran.

Sentencing Allerton yesterday, Judge Michael Mettyear said: “You told police that you intended to flatten the camp and you did just that.”

He added: “It was only due to the quick actions of some of the young people that nobody was in that tent when you went into it.”

Andrew Dallas, prosecuting, told the court previously Allerton had been welcomed by the group after he had asked for a cigarette on the way home from his sister’s house, but that he then became abusive as he got more drunk.

Mr Dallas added: “He went into one of the tents and was seemingly asleep before he put his arm around the waist of a young girl. An older member of the group went to remonstrate with Allerton.

“It’s not known who threw the first punch but it is clear that Allerton was knocked to the ground on two occasions before being put into his van.”

Mr Dallas told the court after Allerton had returned, he gave the teenagers a five-second countdown to exit the field before driving into the two teenagers. The injured boy has since had surgery on two separate occasions, causing him to miss lessons during his GCSE year.

Judge Mettyear said: “This must have been an absolutely terrifying event for all of these young people. It is through luck rather than planning that the injuries suffered were not far worse.”

Allerton, of Selby, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to the boy and attempting to cause GBH with intent in relation to the girl. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months.

In mitigation, Damian Nolan said a savage beating in 2009 left Allerton with post-concussion disorder which can affect mood and aggression.

“There is nothing to justify his actions in terms of why someone with no previous history of violent behaviour would behave in this way,” he said.

After the case, the mother of the boy, said: “He is young, I just hope he learns his lesson from all of this and grows up while he is in prison.

“The sentence was long enough but he definitely should have been banned from driving for longer, not only was he drunk but could have killed my son with his driving.”

Detective Sergeant Mandy Grundy added: “What began as a fun camping adventure for the teenagers turned into a terrifying nightmare during which they were in fear for their lives.”

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