Hit and run driver spared jail

Steffan Newton’s Mazda 6 hit the rider while overtaking on Hague Lane, Wentworth, in September 2020 — before Newton “panicked” and fled the scene.

He was banned from the roads for two years when he appeared before Sheffield Crown Court last Thursday and sentenced to nine months in prison — but Judge Graham Reeds agreed to suspend the jail term after a report concluded there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.

The victim had suffered a broken collarbone, swelling, cuts and grazes and later developed problems with his spine, the court heard.

Ms Amy Earnshaw, mitigating, said 30-year-old Newton, of Swangate, Brampton-Bierlow, had tried to kill himself since the incident and had appeared to be “struggling emotionally” at every court appearance.

She said Newton “wishes to apologise profusely” for his driving at the time of the accident, which she called “a lapse of judgement”.

Ms Earnshaw added: “He has never been in trouble in relation to driving.

“He should have stopped at the scene. He knows he should have done but he panicked.

“I do not wish to minimise the impact on the complainant but in relation to this defendant, he had lost his good name and lost his licence and had to rely on workmates to assist in getting to work. It has had an impact on both of them.”

Judge Reeds said Newton’s driving had fallen below a safe standard when he attempted to overtake two cyclists on Hague Lane, knocking one from his bike.

The judge said he accepted there was no complaint about the manner of Newton’s driving up until the overtaking manoeuvre but said it was “more than a simple misjudgement”.

The judge said Newton having fled the scene was “a serious aggravating factor” but said the defendant had endured having a prison sentence hanging over himself for two years and appeared remorseful.

He added: “This was a serious misjudgement in overtaking and your driving fell well below the required standard.”

While the judge decided to suspend the prison sentence for two years, he ordered Newton to observe a ten-hour nightly curfew for six months, which will require him to wear an electronic tag, and to pay the victim £2,500 in compensation.

Newton, who admitted causing serious injury by careless driving, was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years, to run concurrently, for failing to stop.

He will also have to take an extended test before regaining his licence.