Dangerous Isle of Wight Citroen driver, 75, sentenced

Paul Mudie, of Mitchells Road, Ryde, appeared before Isle of Wight magistrates on Friday, August 9.

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At a previous hearing in June, the 75-year-old admitted driving a motor vehicle dangerously and failing to stop after a road accident, on Smallbrook Lane in Ryde, on April 24.

During that hearing, prosecutor, Lauren Stone, said at around 5pm, police were called to a road traffic incident, following a report Mudie had 'drifted' at high speed onto the wrong side of the road — hitting and 'scraping' the side of an oncoming car and taking off its wing mirror, before speeding off.

Police went to Mudie's address and immediately saw damage to his Citroen consistent with the incident, and Mudie confirmed he was the driver involved in the collision.

On Friday, evidence of Mudie's poor driving — dash cam footage from a car following the one he struck — was played in court once more.  

The footage showed Mudie taking a bend at high speed and crossing onto the wrong side of the carriageway.

It showed him just missing an oncoming vehicle by inches, but striking the driver's side of the next car, before swerving onto the correct side.  

Tom Cooke, defending, said Mudie crossed the white line momentarily after taking the corner badly.

He said it had been his first time driving in a considerable period of time, and Mudie was showing early signs of dementia and awaiting the results of a CT scan.

Mr Cooke told the bench Mudie worked as a chauffeur for a number of years and had never been in a car accident before, despite his lengthy history as a professional driver.  

He said he mustn’t drive again, and he knows it.

Magistrates went outside their guidelines, describing the offence as dangerous but short in sequence.

Mudie was fined £729, disqualified from driving for two years, and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £292 surcharge.

He was told he must take an extended test to drive again.