Danger driver gets extra jail time for crashing car while escaping police
A dangerous driver has been handed extra prison time after crashing into a car with young children in it while trying to flee police.
Mathew Brant saw police at his home in Brierley Hill and drove away on the wrong side of the road ‘at speed’ before crashing into the side of Gemma Quigley’s car, which had her two young children inside, a court heard.
Brant was driving while disqualified and without a licence when the smash happened.
The car was written off and the victim had to go to hospital to be treated for whiplash, Wolverhampton Court Court heard.
Police officers went to Brant’s address in Lindsey Place, on October 27 last year at 9.45am for a different matter, but he did not answer the door, said Miss Sophie Murray, prosecuting, on Monday.
Brant, now 21, was seen driving off and police followed.
Miss Murray added: “Police saw him drive onto the wrong side of the road at speed and collided into the side of a vehicle which had two young children inside.
"There was a significant impact that caused air bags to deploy.”
'Disgusted'
In a victim impact statement, Ms Quigley said: “Today, I suffer with lots of pain and discomfort.
"He did not see if me or my children were okay afterwards he just ran off.
"I feel disgusted that this male has got behind the wheel of a car.”
At the time of the offence Brant was subject to a suspended sentence and disqualified from driving, Miss Murray said.
Mr Niall Skinner, defending, said: “In the words of the victim, they were luckily all okay.”
Brant pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, possessing class B drugs and driving without insurance.
Judge Nicholas Webb sentenced Brant to an additional nine months in prison.
This is on top of the six and a half years he was handed on Friday after admitting causing grievous bodily harm with intent when he left a teenage victim with a fractured eye socket in a row over a girl in 2016.
Judge Webb said: "It was a demonstration of your selfishness that in trying to get away from the police you drove dangerously and collided with a young mother who had her two young children in the car.
"The result for her has been quite disastrous. Not only has she suffered whiplash but significant economic loss as her car was a write off and she has been unable to fund a replacement."
Brant was also given a three-year driving disqualification which will begin when he gets out of prison.
