[A] court has heard how a female driver, her husband and their three-young children were terrified as their car was travelling along A5300 at Beckfoot, Silloth when they witnessed another car travelling towards them with headlights on and at speed on their side of the road, it was late in the evening of August 27, the court was told.
John Anthony Rumney, 22, of Eden Street, Silloth, appeared in front of District Judge Gerald Chalk at the magistrates court in Carlisle, he pleaded guilty to driving a Citroen car dangerously, failing to stop after an accident, having no insurance and no-driving licence.
Prosecutor John Moran told the judge the family were terrified, they could see headlights from a car travelling towards them at speed on the wrong-side of the minor road, the female driver made an emergency braking manoeuvre and the other car driven by Rumney travelling at around 60mph came towards them, it swerved to the other side of the road around a metre away from the families car, the Citroen clipped the victims car and their air-bags were activated.
Rumney represented himself in court, said he was travelling at around 40mph, the car’s shock absorbers were faulty and his steering wheel was vibrating a lot, so he “drove on the wrong side of the road because it was a smoother surface,” he admitted he has never held a driving licence and had drank a couple of cans of alcohol before driving.
After pleading guilty to the four-offences, Rumney received a “interim driving disqualification” his case was sent to Carlisle Crown Court to be sentenced, he will appear on October 13.
