Drink-driver left teenager for dead and took 130-mile detour for an alibi

A CHAMBER of Commerce president driving home from a function in his Mercedes hit a teenage cyclist then completed a 130-mile detour in a bid to create a false alibi, a court heard.

Owen Finn left 16-year-old Kiernan Roberts sprawled in the road in Elloughton, East Yorkshire, with a broken neck and serious head injuries after striking him from behind on October 7 last year. He remains in hospital nine months after the crash.

Finn, 64, who was more than twice over the legal limit for driving, claimed to have only drunk one glass of red wine but CCTV from the venue showed him downing red and white wine, a rum shot, and “various” cocktails. John Thackray, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court that witnesses described him being “drunk” and “unsteady, wobbly, with altered speech”.

Kiernan was on his way home from his part-time job at The Gallery Restaurant in South Cave.

He was found sprawled in the road at around 10pm by another driver. After changing his clothes at his ex-wife’s house, Finn took a 130-mile journey to Birmingham, where his mother lived.

The court heard he took the “long route” to rejoin the A63 “in order to avoid the collision site”.

He was discovered after his ex-wife became “suspicious” the next morning when she saw his bed had not been slept in and his car was gone. Having heard about a hit and run, she contacted the police.

Finn admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident, failing to report an accident and drink-driving.

He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on Friday.