Driver who left baby in car after police chase avoids jail

A banned teenage motorist who ran from police leaving a baby in the car has narrowly avoided being sent straight to jail.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.Mansfield Magistrates Court.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Wardle, of St Mary’s Drive, Edwinstowe, was instantly recognised as a disqualified driver by police on the morning of Wednesday, November 25.

When the officers activated their blue lights, Wardle appeared to accelerate away along Rufford Road.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He eventually dumped the vehicle in a pub car park and ran off, leaving his partner’s child in a babyseat 
in the back of the Citroen Saxo.

Appearing at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court, he admitted a charge of driving while disqualified, using a vehicle without insurance and failing to stop.

David Grant, mitigating for Wardle, said his partner had been ill and it was her car.

She had asked Wardle to make sure her child got to nursery.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He should not have been driving and she should have not permitted him to drive” added Mr Grant.

“When the police saw him, he panicked and abandoned the car.

“Clearly he did not want any harm to come to the child, but he has aggravated the situation by doing that.

“Rather than stop for the officers and take it on the chin, we have the circumstances of what we now know happened.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The magistrates told Wardle that they seriously considered a custodial sentence, but opted to give him an eight-week sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was disqualified from driving for 13 months and made to pay £315 in costs.

Related topics: