Just what do you have to do to get Int Jail these days? Endangering life clearly is not one of them!
Julianne Rees, 23, of Llanddoged, near Llanrwst, and Sidney Bryan Norman Smith, 18, of Longfields, Ongar, Essex, admitted charges of dangerous driving
Two drivers who raced each other on a seven-mile section of the A55 at speeds of up to 120mph have been spared jail sentences.
Both Julianne Rees, 23, of Llanddoged, near Llanrwst , and Sidney Bryan Norman Smith, 18, of Longfields, Ongar, Essex, admitted charges of driving a motor vehicle dangerously late on May 28.
A judge at Caernarfon Crown Court heard they had met at a Bangor supermarket just moments before the incident and had chatted about their vehicles.
Describing their driving as “appalling”, Judge Huw Rees handed both a 12-month prison term suspended for 18 months.
Both were disqualified from driving for 18 months and must take an extended re-test before their licences are returned.
They must also carry out 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay costs of £276.
“This was a consistent piece of bad driving at speeds of up to 120mph presenting, at all times, a risk to other road users,” the judge said.
He warned both defendants if they appeared before him again they would be sent to prison.
Emmalyne Downing, prosecuting, said a police officer was approaching the Tesco roundabout on Caernarfon Road, Bangor , and saw the two vehicles, a VW Golf driven by Rees and a Toyota driven by Smith, emerge onto the road and then take the A55 slip road towards Conwy.
“The vehicles were accelerating and sensing he was about to see some poor driving the officer switched on the vehicle’s calibrated camera and followed them onto the A55,” she said.
Watch Motorbike Overtaking On A55
Footage from the camera was shown to the court. Both vehicles were seen to accelerate to more than 100mph and were constantly changing position.
“They appeared to be racing and the officer had to accelerate to keep up with them. When Smith, driving the Toyota, spotted the officer he braked and slowed but the Golf continued driving at speeds of up to 120mph.
“When the vehicle braked near Abergwyngregyn, causing the officer to brake harshly, the officer switched on the blue flashing lights and the Golf stopped at the slip road,” said Ms Downing.
She added weather conditions were good and traffic was light but there had been other road users on the A55.
Anna Pope, for Rees, said she had made frank admissions to the officer at the roadside after being stopped and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was genuinely remorseful.
She said the shop worker realised she had been “foolish and stupid” and suggested her behaviour was out of character.
Smith’s barrister, Marcus Kraehling-Smith, made similar comments about his client and urged the judge to draw back from an immediate jail sentence.
He said Smith had been visiting Wales with friends and had met Rees in the shop and got talking about cars.
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/a55-girl-boy-racer-who-12310749
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