SANDOWN MAN KEEPS LICENCE AFTER CRASHING TRANSIT INTO WALL AND FLEEING SCENE
53-year-old Jonathan Easlea, who crashed his Ford Transit van into the wall of a residential house in Apse Heath before fleeing the scene, has kept his licence after appearing at the Isle of Wight’s Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Tuesday).
Easlea previously pleaded guilty to failing to report an accident and driving without due care and attention when he appeared at the Magistrates’ Court last month.
As previously reported by Island Echo, emergency services were alerted to reports that a vehicle – a Transit tipper van – had left the road and collided with a Ford Fiesta and a brick wall at around 21:30 on 31st March.
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Officers from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary attended the scene but the driver – Easlea – was no longer present and made no attempts to exchange details with any of the parties involved.
A few days later, on 5th April, Easlea was contacted by Police and called in for an interview the following day. It was here that he admitted to being the driver of the vehicle. Easlea only made an attempt to contact the home and vehicle owners after he was contacted by officers from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary.
Defending, Amy Hosell said that her client had ‘simply panicked’ and that there was a lot going on in his life. At the time of the accident his mother was in hospital with pneumonia and he was her primary carer.
Outlining the impact that losing his licence would have on Easlea, the court heard how, in addition to using the vehicle for his work as a general builder, he also used it to take his son to school 4 days a week and also to do the shopping for his mother. He had no previous penalty points on his licence.
Easlea was given an 18-month community order with 35 rehabilitation days and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.
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He was also given 9 points on his licence and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £114.
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