Man, 24, took partner's car and crashed it on A629

Dylan Lowe, 24, lost control of the Nissan Qashqai while driving himself and two friends home from a night out in Skipton in January last year, heard Skipton Magistrates' Court.

He collided with a tree and overturned the car on the A629 just past Cononley Lane End, near Kildwick, the court heard.

His friend in the front seat, one of two others in the vehicle, spent 10 days in hospital and had to have three operations.

His left hand was permanently damaged, he can no longer play cricket for his local club and is now classed as disabled, the court was told.

The case was heard at Skipton Magistrates' Court (Image: Google Street View)

Lowe, who the court heard deeply regretted what he had done, was full of remorse and had not driven for ten months following the collision, was given two 18-week suspended prison sentences.

Prosecutor Kelly Gallagher said Lowe had taken his partner's car and driven it from their home in Cowling to Sutton-in-Craven to collect two friends before heading to Skipton where they met Lowe's partner who had gone earlier into town by taxi.

Seeing he was in her car, she had told him he was not to drive it again, said Ms Gallagher.

The friends then went out together in Skipton; Lowe's partner went home at 2.30am in a taxi, leaving Lowe and the two others in Skipton, and telling him to get a taxi home.

But, he disregarded what his partner told him and took the car, losing control on the A629, colliding with a tree, and rolling the car over, said Ms Gallagher.

Lowe's partner arrived at the scene of the accident in a taxi and told police Lowe had not had her permission to drive her car.

The man in the front passenger seat suffered a head injury and lost consciousness. He had three surgeries and spent 10 days in Bradford Royal Infirmary and would never regain full feeling in his left hand, said Ms Gallagher.

His disability was a daily frustration, he used to play cricket for a local team, but could no longer hold a bat or ball.

Lowe, of previous good character, admitted aggravated vehicle taking and causing serious injury by driving without due care and attention on January 21, 2023.

The crash happened on the A629 between Skipton and Kildwick (Image: Google Street View)

The court heard in mitigation that Lowe, who had also been injured, had helped get his friend out of the car and had stayed with the vehicle waiting for the emergency services to arrive. 

Keith Blackwell, mitigating, said it was an act of folly on Lowe's part. He said Lowe, a self-employed builder who had his own business, was full of remorse and did not want to justify his poor driving.

"He got (the man) out of the car and stayed with him, where others might have run away.

"He accepts he was going a little bit too quick for the bend and in the weather conditions at the time. It is a very, very bad piece of road where there has been numerous accidents and fatalities."

Probation officer Andrew Watson said Lowe had told him he had drunk three pints of low-strength beer over the space of four hours and insisted alcohol had not played a part in him losing control of the car.

Mr Watson said Lowe's mother worked for an alcohol agency and Lowe had a very good understanding of alcohol consumption and safe levels. He felt himself very lucky that he was not facing a death by driving offence and that it was a stupid mistake that he very much regretted.

Magistrates told Lowe, of Carr Meadows, Cowling, that it was a very serious matter that had left someone with serious, life-changing injuries.

Lowe was given two, 18-week prison sentences, reduced from 26 weeks because of his early guilty plea, to run concurrently and suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, was banned from driving for 12 months, and will have to pay compensation of £1,000 to the injured man. There was no order for costs or a surcharge.