Judge gives up counting danger driver’s offences
A JUDGE said he ‘gave up counting’ a dangerous driver’s previous convictions as he jailed him for speeding at more than 60mph in a residential area.
Philip Grahame, 37, was said to have an ‘appalling record’ of almost 160 offences.
A court heard one of them was for dangerous driving – the same charge he admitted.
Grahame, of Lendale Road, Longsight, was arrested after a Ford Fiesta was spotted by North Wales Police in Flintshire on June 17, 2018.
Ember Wong, prosecuting at Mold Crown Court, said officers saw the car on the A548 being driven towards Greenfield, near Holywell, at about 11.15pm.
Ms Wong said: “They turned around to follow the vehicle which then made off at speed.
“It was pulling away from the officers in a residential area with speed humps, where the speed limit was 30mph. At one point the officers estimated the speed to be in excess of 70mph.”
The driver, the court heard, returned to the A548 and switched off the vehicle’s lights, making it difficult to see. It then turned onto an industrial estate and was abandoned.
Ms Wong said the officers realised the driver was male but the vehicle was registered to a female living close to where it had been left. She said the officers called at the address and found Grahame there. He was subsequently arrested.
During interview, he refused to answer most questions, but stated he was not the driver of the Fiesta.
Simon Killeen, defending, said there had been delays in pursuing the matter to court, but accepted this was partly down to Grahame’s behaviour.
He asked for credit for Grahame’s guilty plea and for the judge to bear in mind the current Covid-19 pandemic when determining sentence.
Judge Niclas Parry remarked on his lengthy record.
He said he ‘gave up counting after 13’ [driving offences].
Grahame appeared via videolink from prison in Liverpool.
He was jailed for six months after pleading guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.
The judge added: “This was a bad case of bad driving after warnings were ignored.
“The consequences could have been catastrophic. It is aggravated by your appalling antecedent record.”
Grahame was also banned from driving for 39 months.
This was a bad case of bad driving after warnings were ignored Judge Niclas Parry