A driver ran over a woman and left tyre marks on her jeans, a court heard.
Tuan Anh Nguyen, 26, was behind the wheel of a Jaguar car which shot out of a residential road in Workington on September 8.
It caused a taxi driver carrying a husband and wife to brake, in order to avoid an accident, Carlisle Crown Court heard today.
The Jaguar also shot into a layby on the left, almost immediately back out and across the road before driving off at speed.
“At Stainburn roundabout the Jaguar was almost scraping along metal railings at the side of the road,” said prosecutor Matthew Hopkins.
The taxi driver believed the car was going to pile up on the railings and that the back end was going to spin out.
The car then pulled quickly across the road, on to the opposite carriageway, where fortunately there was no other traffic, before driving away quickly.
After the taxi driver called police, the male passenger suggested he follow the Jaguar to take the registration number and location.
As the Jaguar stopped at Moor Road in Stainburn, the taxi driver pulled in next to it.
As the male passenger got out, intending to grab the driver’s keys, his wife followed, in order to get him back in the taxi.
She was stood at the bonnet of the car.
“The Jaguar then revved its engine and speeded up,” said Mr Hopkins. “The car collided with her, causing her to lose her balance.
“She held on to the bonnet to gain her balance and let the driver know she was there.
“The driver continued to drive, knocking her on to her back and drove over her.
“She felt the car drive over her leg and her hip before it sped away. She describes the pain was instant and she was unable to get up.”
Police heading to the scene saw the Jaguar travelling in the opposite direction at speed. It turned into a junction and was later found abandoned.
Nguyen was spotted walking towards the registered keeper’s address. He was detained and gave false details to the police, saying he was scared of being attacked or robbed in the wake of past personal trauma.
The Jaguar keys were found in his pocket and he refused to take a breath test.
When later brought to court he admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop after a road accident, failing to provide a breath specimen and no insurance.
The badly hurt woman was taken to hospital in Carlisle — in significant pain managed by gas and air — having suffered a pelvic fracture, a blood clot in her abdomen and concussion.
“Due to a pre-existing medical condition which left her immune system vulnerable to infection, she went home to recover,” said Mr Hopkins.
“She describes her recovery time as around eight weeks and, as she was unable to work, her own business suffered financially. She described tyre marks on the jeans she was wearing at the time of the incident.”
In an impact statement, the woman spoke of being left in agony in the aftermath.
“This is having a major impact on my family life,” she stated. “I have to remain positive and hope in a few years I will be back to some sort of normal life.”
Marion Weir, mitigating, said Nguyen had been new to the area, lost and was trying to follow directions when he realised he was being followed.
“The defendant panicked. His aim was to get away from the scene,” added Ms Weir, who described the defendant as remorseful and concerned for his victim.
Passing sentence, Recorder Julian Shaw told Nguyen, of Cherry Tree Drive, Stainburn: “The driving was extraordinarily dangerous. There was clear disregard for the safety of both the husband and wife.”
The judge suspended a two-year jail term for two years.
Nguyen was given 300 hours’ unpaid work, a 120-day booze ban, three-year driving disqualification and must pass an extended retest before his licence is returned.
He must also pay the woman £600 compensation which the judge described as a token sum based on his income.
