Driver jailed for mowing down OAP

A BANNED driver who mowed down a pensioner and filmed himself speeding along a motorway at up to 140mph has been jailed.

Richard Allen, 38, was seen in video clips released by police showing him driving dangerously and laughing in one incident.

He was jailed for seven-and-ahalf years after being found guilty of causing serious injury to a woman,71, and his role in three other incidents.

The victim was thrown into the air on a pedestrian crossing and suffered multiple fractures, including a broken hip. Birmingham Crown Court last week heard how Allen was found hiding in bushes around an hour after the collision last July in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.

Witnesses said he had been speeding at more than 50mph in a 30mph zone on his Honda CBR motorbike. He had already been banned from the roads in 2001.

Police said an examination of Allen’s mobile phone revealed shocking examples of his recklessness, including one video showing him driving at 140mph in an Audi TT car. In another clip, Allen – identified by a distinctive tattoo on his arm – could be heard laughing.

Detective Constable Karl Davies, from West Midlands Police Collision Investigation Unit, said Allen “shouldn’t have even been on the road, let alone driving in such a dangerous manner”.

He added: “I hope the long prison sentence handed to him acts as a deterrent to others who may believe they can speed with impunity.”