Man injured three kids in Sutton when ‘screeching’ around corner and crashing ‘borrowed’ car
A man who ‘borrowed’ and crashed a friend's car after ‘screeching’ around a corner injured the three children he was driving to the park, a court has heard.
Matthew Duffin helped himself to the keys for a silver Vauxhall Vectra while visiting friends on April 30, last year, Nottingham Crown Court was told.
He collected another friend and three children and drove them to a park before crashing into the back of a parked Nissan Qashqai at speed when he lost control on Lansbury Road, in Sutton, said prosecutor Abigail Hill.
A witness saw a young woman, who was holding a baby, limping and screaming and a young boy stumbling in pain.
All three children were injured but Duffin ushered them away before police arrived.
A beer bottle top and a can of Stella Artois were found in the Vectra but no charge for drink driving was laid.
When he was later arrested he admitted what had happened and confirmed he wasn't insured to drive the car.
As he was taken to custody he urinated in the back of the police van and told officers: "I told you I needed a wee many times."
The owners of both vehicles said they experienced financial difficulties, inconvenience and stress as a result.
The court heard Duffin was convicted of battery in April 2021 and received a 12 month community order which he breached three times.
Rawaid Javed, mitigating, said: “He doesn't usually behave in this way and is very sorry. He said it could have all been avoided if he had walked the children to the park instead of taking his friend's car.
“He takes full responsibility for his actions,” he said, adding that Duffin’s offending began in his early thirties after he began suffering physical and mental health problems.
Duffin, 36, of Albert Street, Hucknall, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, failing to stop after an accident, driving without insurance and criminal damage at a previous hearing.
On Tuesday, Recorder Anne Marie Trussler sentenced him to 12 months in prison, suspended for one year, with 20 rehabilitation days.
He was ordered to pay compensation to the Vectra’s owner of £75 and £200 to the Qashqai’s owner. He was disqualified for 18 months and ordered to pass an extended re-test before driving again.