A motorist who reversed at speed towards a cyclist has been jailed for three years.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Paul Owens, 39, pulled in front of the cyclist and then as the victim tried to get away, he reversed his car at him, hitting both the cyclist and a house.

Owens, from Peaton Street, Middlesbrough, appeared before the court via video link from Durham Prison to be sentenced for the incident, which happened in January in the town's Stainton Street.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said as Owens reversed the car at speed towards the cyclist, he "thought he was going to die".

The court was shown video footage which showed Owens drive his car to block the cyclist's path. The cyclist then tries to leave in another direction and Owens reverses his car at him. The court heard the cyclist's injuries as a 'significant impact' on him and the property also suffered some damage.

Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said Owens, who has a string of motoring-related convictions, should be given full credit for his guilty pleas.

He admitted:

section 20 assault charge,
a charge of dangerous driving,
driving whilst disqualified and causing criminal damage.

Judge Anthony Brown said: "It was an appalling piece of driving, where you weaponised your vehicle. You reversed at speed and trapped this man against the wall of a house."

He said it was 'good luck' the outcome was not worse and he was facing much more serious charges.

He jailed Owens for a total of three years and banned him from driving for three years and six months.

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/driver-weaponised-car-reversing-cyclist-26943279

On 22/05/2023 10:22 am, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> A chav-cyclist who reversed at speed towards a cyclist has been jailed for three years.
> Teesside Crown Court heard how Paul Owens, 39, pulled in front of the cyclist and then as the victim tried to get away, he reversed his car at him, hitting both the cyclist and a house.
> Owens, from Peaton Street, Middlesbrough, appeared before the court via video link from Durham Prison to be sentenced for the incident, which happened in January in the town's Stainton Street.
> Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said as Owens reversed the car at speed towards the cyclist, he "thought he was going to die".
> The court was shown video footage which showed Owens drive his car to block the cyclist's path. The cyclist then tries to leave in another direction and Owens reverses his car at him. The court heard the cyclist's injuries as a 'significant impact' on him and the property also suffered some damage.
> Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said Owens, who has a string of motoring-related convictions, should be given full credit for his guilty pleas.
> He admitted:
>
> section 20 assault charge,
> a charge of dangerous driving,
> driving whilst disqualified and causing criminal damage.

....which is the indication that he is not a driver. He is nothing but a
totally-qualified/unqualified chav-cyclist and no more than that.

> Judge Anthony Brown said: "It was an appalling piece of driving, where you weaponised your vehicle. You reversed at speed and trapped this man against the wall of a house."

What does anyone expect from a chav-cyclist purporting to be a driver?
>
> He said it was 'good luck' the outcome was not worse and he was facing much more serious charges.
> He jailed Owens for a total of three years and banned him from driving for three years and six months.

> https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/driver-weaponised-car-reversing-cyclist-26943279

QUOTE: Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said Owens, who has a string of motoring-related convictions, should be given full credit for his guilty pleas. ENDS

Full "credit" for committing these crimes?

He admitted:

section 20 assault charge,
a charge of dangerous driving,
driving whilst disqualified and causing criminal damage.

NOPE - THREE YEARS IN JAIL, FELLA.
AND A SEVEN YEAR DRIVING BAN.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> QUOTE: Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said Owens, who has a string of
> motoring-related convictions, should be given full credit for his guilty pleas. ENDS
> Full "credit" for committing these crimes?

> He admitted:

> section 20 assault charge,
> a charge of dangerous driving,
> driving whilst disqualified and causing criminal damage.

> NOPE - THREE YEARS IN JAIL, FELLA.
> AND A SEVEN YEAR DRIVING BAN.

But your drivel mantra is ‘fess up early doors’.

So you’re now saying that doesn’t apply.

--
Spike

On 22/05/2023 02:58 pm, Spike wrote:

> swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

>> QUOTE: Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said Owens, who has a string of
>> motoring-related convictions, should be given full credit for his guilty pleas. ENDS
>
>> Full "credit" for committing these crimes?
>> He admitted:
>> section 20 assault charge,
>> a charge of dangerous driving,
>> driving whilst disqualified and causing criminal damage.

>> NOPE - THREE YEARS IN JAIL, FELLA.
>> AND A SEVEN YEAR DRIVING BAN.

> But your drivel mantra is ‘fess up early doors’.
> So you’re now saying that doesn’t apply.

It's OK... he doesn't have to make sense (and never does).

QUOTE: Judge Anthony Brown said: "It was an appalling piece of driving, where you weaponised your vehicle. You reversed at speed and trapped this man against the wall of a house."

He said it was 'good luck' the outcome was not worse and he was facing much more serious charges. ENDS

What - FIVE YEARS? As long as that?

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Judge Anthony Brown said: "It was an appalling piece of driving,
> where you weaponised your vehicle. You reversed at speed and trapped this
> man against the wall of a house."
>
> He said it was 'good luck' the outcome was not worse and he was facing
> much more serious charges. ENDS
>
> What - FIVE YEARS? As long as that?

Rhiannon Bennett’s killer was merely fined. Where’s the justice in that?

--
Spike

Nice lad.

------------------------------
A JUDGE who jailed a sleeping driver after he caused a horrific crash said lessons should have been learned more than a decade ago, after the Selby rail disaster.

Paul Owens’ barrister told told a court that the case ought to be a “salutary lesson” to people who think it is okay to get behind the wheel when they are tired.

But Judge Howard Crowson said that the Great Heck tragedy in 2001 - which claimed the lives of ten people - should have pricked the public conscience long ago.

He said the calamity in North Yorkshire - and the thousands of warnings along the country’s roads about the dangers of driving without a rest - should have hit home.

It is now just more than 16 years since Gary Hart fell asleep at the wheel of his LandRover on the M62 south of Selby, North Yorkshire, and plunged onto the track, causing catastrophic carnage.

Hart tried to reverse the vehicle - which had been towing a trailer - off the lines, but could not, jumped out and tried to call the emergency services.

A southbound InterCity 225, travelling at 117mph from Newcastle to Kings Cross, London, hit the vehicle, and was deflected into the path of a fully-laden freight train carrying 1,600 tonnes of coal in the opposite direction.

The drivers of both trains, two crew from the passenger service, and six commuters were killed in the collision - the worst in the UK in the 21st Century.

Hart - a married construction worker, then aged 37 - was jailed for five years after being convicted of ten charges of causing death by dangerous driving.

Dad-of-two Owens, 32, of Enderby Street, Middlesbrough, was locked up for two years on Thursday after he admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the landscaper had been in France for the Euro 2016 football tournament, and made an overnight cross-Channel journey with friends.

After a sleep-deprived trip, Owens dozed off at the wheel of his Ford Transit van, veered over onto the wrong side of the road and caused a four-vehicle collision.

The crash on the A172 between Middlesbrough and Stokesley, North Yorkshire, happened during rush-hour in June last year - and left three people badly injured.

The most badly hurt was his front seat passenger - the fiancée of his friend - as all three of them returned from Calais to the North-East, via Dover, Kent.

Mike Bristow, from road safety charity Brake, said: “Tired driving is a major killer on UK roads.

“Taking regular breaks is essential to tackling the problem.

“We advise all drivers to take a break of at least 15 minutes every two hours. If you feel sleepy, you should pull over somewhere and safe and have a nap.

“However, there is no substitute for a good night’s sleep – this is the only way to be sure of staying safe, so we would encourage all drivers to plan their journeys, and not set off in a car if they are tired or expect to become sleepy.”

Judge Crowson said: “It’s more than ten years since we dealt with what happened at Selby, and from that day onwards, people knew the dangers, and the signs said so.

“There are warning signs all over the road network against driving while tired . . . people need to understand that driving while too tired is dangerous.”

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/15165800.judge-jails-sleeping-middlesbrough-driver-caused-four-car-smash-a172-north-yorkshire---says-learnt-fr/

The article below is over six years old, and has nothing to do with
cycling.

One wonders why Mason dug it up.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Nice lad.
>
> ------------------------------
> A JUDGE who jailed a sleeping driver after he caused a horrific crash
> said lessons should have been learned more than a decade ago, after the
> Selby rail disaster.
>
> Paul Owens’ barrister told told a court that the case ought to be a
> “salutary lesson” to people who think it is okay to get behind the wheel
> when they are tired.
>
> But Judge Howard Crowson said that the Great Heck tragedy in 2001 - which
> claimed the lives of ten people - should have pricked the public conscience long ago.
>
> He said the calamity in North Yorkshire - and the thousands of warnings
> along the country’s roads about the dangers of driving without a rest -
> should have hit home.
>
> It is now just more than 16 years since Gary Hart fell asleep at the
> wheel of his LandRover on the M62 south of Selby, North Yorkshire, and
> plunged onto the track, causing catastrophic carnage.
>
> Hart tried to reverse the vehicle - which had been towing a trailer - off
> the lines, but could not, jumped out and tried to call the emergency services.
>
> A southbound InterCity 225, travelling at 117mph from Newcastle to Kings
> Cross, London, hit the vehicle, and was deflected into the path of a
> fully-laden freight train carrying 1,600 tonnes of coal in the opposite direction.
>
> The drivers of both trains, two crew from the passenger service, and six
> commuters were killed in the collision - the worst in the UK in the 21st Century.
>
> Hart - a married construction worker, then aged 37 - was jailed for five
> years after being convicted of ten charges of causing death by dangerous driving.
>
> Dad-of-two Owens, 32, of Enderby Street, Middlesbrough, was locked up for
> two years on Thursday after he admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
>
> Teesside Crown Court heard how the landscaper had been in France for the
> Euro 2016 football tournament, and made an overnight cross-Channel journey with friends.
>
> After a sleep-deprived trip, Owens dozed off at the wheel of his Ford
> Transit van, veered over onto the wrong side of the road and caused a
> four-vehicle collision.
>
> The crash on the A172 between Middlesbrough and Stokesley, North
> Yorkshire, happened during rush-hour in June last year - and left three
> people badly injured.
>
> The most badly hurt was his front seat passenger - the fiancée of his
> friend - as all three of them returned from Calais to the North-East, via Dover, Kent.
>
> Mike Bristow, from road safety charity Brake, said: “Tired driving is a
> major killer on UK roads.
>
> “Taking regular breaks is essential to tackling the problem.
>
> “We advise all drivers to take a break of at least 15 minutes every two
> hours. If you feel sleepy, you should pull over somewhere and safe and have a nap.
>
> “However, there is no substitute for a good night’s sleep – this is the
> only way to be sure of staying safe, so we would encourage all drivers to
> plan their journeys, and not set off in a car if they are tired or expect
> to become sleepy.”
>
> Judge Crowson said: “It’s more than ten years since we dealt with what
> happened at Selby, and from that day onwards, people knew the dangers,
> and the signs said so.
>
> “There are warning signs all over the road network against driving while
> tired . . . people need to understand that driving while too tired is dangerous.”
>
> https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/15165800.judge-jails-sleeping-middlesbrough-driver-caused-four-car-smash-a172-north-yorkshire---says-learnt-fr/
>

--
Spike

QUOTE: Teesside Crown Court heard how the landscaper had been in France for the Euro 2016 football tournament, and made an overnight cross-Channel journey with friends. ENDS

Here he is in action.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FwzSllYXwAEDVDc?format=jpg&name=medium

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Teesside Crown Court heard how the landscaper had been in France
> for the Euro 2016 football tournament, and made an overnight
> cross-Channel journey with friends. ENDS
>
> Here he is in action.
>
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FwzSllYXwAEDVDc?format=jpg&name=medium

Which one?

--
Spike

On Tuesday, 23 May 2023 at 10:01:31 UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> QUOTE: Teesside Crown Court heard how the landscaper had been in France for the Euro 2016 gay porn tournament, and made an overnight cross-Channel journey with friends. ENDS
>
> Here he is in action.
>
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FwzSllYXwAEDVDc?format=jpg&name=medium