Driver used car as “weapon” against man who filmed suspected speeding

Saturday 07 January 2023

A 21-year-old driver has been sentenced to a year in prison, after he seriously injured an islander who was trying to film his suspected speeding by dragging him down a road - before fleeing the scene.

James Taylor, who appeared in the Royal Court on Friday, was also handed a three-year driving ban for the hit-and-run incident on Route du Nord in St. John on 17 June.

The victim needed hospital treatment and stitches, having suffered "extensive loss of skin" on his arms, chest, abdomen and thighs, and a deep cut on his elbow. He said the pain was so great that it left him unable to sleep, and that he was forced to take a month off work.

Appearing for the prosecution, Advocate Simon Crowder told court that the victim had been at the L'Auberge du Nord pub before walking to the nearby bus stop with a friend.

He explained that the pair heard a number of vehicles with "very loud" engines driving past and believed they might be speeding.

Pictured: The case was heard in the Royal Court on Friday.

The victim's friend "jumped into the hedge at the side of the road" after believing he was going to be hit by one of the cars "revving behind him".

The victim decided to try to get the registration number of a second car, as he believed the driver was going over the speed limit, and began filming it with his mobile phone. The court heard that the "driver appeared to see him filming as the car stopped, turned around and drove away."

He later heard another engine revving – that of Mr Taylor's Hyundai I30 Fastback – and filmed the car on his mobile with his torch on.

Advocate Crowder showed the court the recorded footage and explained the sequence of events.

"As the car approached, [the victim] stepped into the road. The vehicle's headlights were on and the victim thought it was going very fast. He 'could hear the throttle was wide open'. The defendant saw him, slammed on the brakes, the front of the bonnet dipped and the car came to a stop, with a squealing sound from the brakes, right in front of the victim," he said.

Taylor then reversed and put the car into a forward gear, "floor[ing] the accelerator".

The victim, who recalled hearing the wheels spin, said Taylor "could clearly see me" and "didn't turn the car or make any efforts to drive around me."

He tried to turn and shield himself but was "hit and rolled onto the bonnet and off the side of the bonnet on the driver's side", Advocate Crowder continued.

His arm then became trapped in the wheel arch, and he was dragged along for 10 metres.
"...The only reason I got loose was because the wheel turned slightly and I was released pretty quickly. This caused me to roll and bounce for some time, I don't know how far," the victim recalled at a later interview about the incident.

Taylor then drove off, leaving his victim injured at the scene. When arrested that night, he told Police that he had wanted to go back and "see if he was ok and stop but... I just panicked. I just wanted to get home."

He later explained in a formal interview that on his way home he pulled in at Marks and Spencer fuel station where he got out of his car and screamed before driving to a yard at Geomarine where he spoke to his friend before heading towards Sion.

Advocate Crowder said that examination of Taylor's Hyundai revealed that "chunks of the tyre had been worn off" – something a DVS officer believed was likely caused by "aggressive driving" over a period of time.

He was subsequently charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop and report an accident, and driving with a defective tyre.

While the victim said he felt Taylor's actions were deliberate, Advocate Simon Thomas, defending, maintained that Taylor "acted impulsively" and "didn't mean to injure" the victim.

Advocate Thomas said Taylor "acknowledges the gravity of the offence", adding that it was a "short but serious piece of driving" and "an incident of foolishness".

He urged the court to avoid sentencing him to imprisonment due to Taylor's recent mental health problems.

But Deputy Bailiff Robert Macrae said it was inevitable and that "using a vehicle as a weapon should lead to a custodial sentence".

Taylor was sentenced to 12 months' at HMP La Moye and disqualified from driving for three years.

Following the case, Police Chief Robin Smith explained that the force is currently examining new ways to clamp down on speeding and dangerous driving on the island – including working with a company specialising in behavioural science. Learn more about their efforts in today's JEP.

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