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Suspended sentences for Wolverhampton motorists who breached road racing injunction (11 January 2016)

Date: 11/01/2016
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Suspended sentences for Wolverhampton motorists who breached road racing injunction

A driver and his passenger have been convicted of breaching an injunction banning car cruising in the Black Country.

On Thursday 7 January 2016, the High Court in Birmingham heard that Robert Darby, 25, of Wordsley and Mark Guest, 35, of Tipton admitted contempt of court, after participating in a car cruise in Wolverhampton in October 2015.

The incident occurred on the Black Country Route in the Springvale area of Wolverhampton on Sunday 25 October 2015.

Police were called and witnessed a large of around 30 vehicles and at least 20 people.

Darby was driving one of the vehicles and Guest was his passenger. Police said that, had they not arrived when they did, road racing would have taken place – the act of drivers meeting on the public highway on either an organised or impromptu basis to race or show off in their cars.

Road racing is illegal and can also be noisy and dangerous. In February 2015, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall councils – working in partnership with West Midlands Police – secured a groundbreaking injunction from the High Court to put a stop to road racing.

The injunction bans people from taking part in a car cruise anywhere within the four boroughs of Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall – and also bans the promotion, organisation or publicising of any car cruising event in those areas.

Darby and Guest admitted contempt of court by breaching the injunction and were sentenced to 28 days imprisonment, suspended on terms that they comply with the injunction for as long as it remains in force.

They were also each ordered to pay £443.63 towards the City of Wolverhampton Council's costs.

After the hearing, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Sandra Samuels, said:

“It is vital that strong action is taken to prevent car cruises taking place and deter those who are considering taking part in this activity – and I welcome yesterday's conviction of two individuals for breaching the injunction.

“For too long, people in Wolverhampton – particularly in the Ettingshall and Springvale areas – were plagued by car cruising.

“Residents told us that noise deprived them and their families of sleep, while others reported that it caused items in their home to shake and vibrate.

“Another witness who inadvertently got caught up in a previous car cruise on the Black Country Route described how she had to pull off the road to escape – and was left physically shaking and petrified by the incident.

“The injunction has had an extremely positive impact across the Black Country, significantly reducing the problem and actually eliminating it altogether from certain hotspots.

“It is disappointing that some people still think it is acceptable to take part in this anti-social, illegal and dangerous activity, but the authorities have demonstrated once again that they won't hesitate to take action to bring perpetrators to book.”

Duncan Lewis Motoring Solicitors – Motoring Offences

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