Driver's shame after seeing dash-cam crash footage of screaming kids

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Tuesday, August 23, how Francis Henry Stout, 67, of Bolehill, Calow, Chesterfield, had been boozing after taking a friend to the shops and was involved in a collision with a family in another car on the return journey.

Prosecuting solicitor Neil Hollett said: “A friend had been picked up by the defendant and taken to the local shop with another person and he later drove the friend back to her address.

“The friend didn’t believe the defendant had been drinking but he was hesitant in his driving and then started speeding up and he had to swerve to avoid driving into a bridge and he crossed white lines in the road and swerved into the opposite carriageway again.

“Another driver and his family were driving in the opposite direction and saw the defendant in a blue Jaguar coming towards him and he had to swerve to avoid a collision but was struck with some force by this defendant.

“The driver was shook up and the children in the car were screaming.”

The court heard how Stout drove off to his nearby home but a member of the public followed him and reported him to police.

Officers found Stout’s car parked in a driveway, according to Mr Hollett, and the defendant was inside his home.

Mr Hollett added that when Stout was taken to the police station he refused to provide a drink-drive specimen.

Stout told police he had been driving and drinking alcohol and he had been involved in accident and confirmed that he had not stopped and he was very sorry.

Mr Hollett added: “He was shown dash-cam footage from the other vehicle and it upset him because he could hear the children screaming.”

Retired British Coal worker Stout pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and admitted failing to provide a drink-drive specimen after the incident on Calow Lane, on July 28.

Defence solicitor Kelly Shooter said: “In his interview he was visibly upset once he had been shown the footage and this demonstrated his remorse about what happened.

“He cannot understand why he had been drinking. He took a friend to Morrisons and while he was waiting for them he consumed alcohol.”

Ms Shooter added that Stout does suffer with mild dementia and is receiving treatment and medicine for bladder cancer and high cholesterol.

Magistrates fined Stout £640 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £64 victim surcharge.

He was also disqualified from driving for 24 months.