The defendant's behaviour in court on Tuesday did not impress the judge, given that he could not - or did not want to - recall many events concerning the accident which occurred two years ago.
The defendant was a repeat offender, having been found guilty of traffic offences on three prior occasions. This led the judge to ask what exactly the authorities need to do for the defendant to respect the law. At the time of the accident, the man was only allowed to drive during his commute. Responding to this statement, the defendant maintained he believed his driving ban had expired by this point.
As for why he fled the scene after causing the accident, the man claimed to have done so out of panic, and highlighted he'd never been in an accident before. He claimed he had been lost, could not work his GPS, it had been raining, and he had had a beer. He apologised for his actions in court.
The impact of the man's irresponsible driving was serious. A police officer who arrived at the scene described four destroyed cars, two of which were totalled. There had been no trace of the guilty driver or his car and the police were unable to determine the influence of alcohol in the collision. A witness was able to identify the defendant as they had previously worked together. The day after the accident, the man went along to the police station and denied any claims of the accident being a hit-and-run, as he ultimately handed himself in.
One of the other drivers involved in the accident told the court that his own vehicle had been destroyed and that he told the defendant at the time of the crash that he would call the police to report the damage. At this point, the defendant said 'Wait, I've been drinking!' and fled the scene.
Whilst the defence lawyer argued there was no evidence of driving under the influence, the prosecutor highlighted that the man was guilty of fleeing the scene of the accident he caused and driving despite a ban, potentially under the influence. Given the man's lack of repentance in repeat offending, the prosecutor recommended a six-month prison sentence, an appropriate fine, and a driving ban of 56 months.
The verdict is due on 26 September.
