UK: Drink driver 13 years given 4 months

[Oldbillplod]

A 13-year-old boy, thought to be Britain's youngster-ever convicted drink-driver, has been given a four-month custodial sentence.

Jon Smee, of Thursfield Street in Cromwell, Salford, Greater Manchester, looked shocked and shaken as he was handcuffed and led away at Salford Magistrates Court.

The teenager was caught after he drove a stolen Ford Mondeo at 70mph in a 30mph zone, narrowly missing a pedestrian and losing control of the car at a roundabout.

District Judge John Finestein took the unusual step of naming the 4ft 10in defendant because he hoped it would alert the public and stop Smee offending again.

Smee, who has a number of previous convictions and has been disqualified from driving before, pleaded guilty last month to drink-driving, aggravated vehicle taking and driving with no insurance.

Police were alerted to the incident on October 31 last year when the owner of the Ford Mondeo noticed his car had gone missing.

Just after midnight the following day a police officer saw Smee speeding along Queensway in Salford and narrowly missing a pedestrian.

Smee continued to drive the stolen car without lights and on the wrong side of the road, reaching speeds of 70mph still in a 30mph zone.

As he approached a roundabout the front offside wheel hit the kerb, the tyre burst and Smee lost control of the car.

When the teenager realised the Ford Mondeo was slowing down he flung open the door and abandoned it. But police caught up with the defendant and found him to be over the legal alcohol limit.

[ngcsubutterbar]

om......, he's had PRIORS?!?!?!?!?!

[fatboyjim154]

We start 'em young over here. A couple of local 17 y/o brothers have got 43 convictions between them.

[Phre4k]

Damn. that is just crazy

[Oldbillplod]

A 13-year-old who became one of the youngest drink-drivers in the UK was given a four month custodial sentence yesterday after driving a stolen car at 70mph without lights in a 30mph residential area.

Jon Smee, of Salford, who at 4ft 10in tall can barely reach the steering wheel of a car , was caught by police after he lost control of a Ford Mondeo at a roundabout near Manchester centre in November.

At Salford magistrates court, District Judge Jonathon Finestein said it as "a miracle" that Smee escaped the crash without seriously injuring or killing himself or other people.

Police were alerted last October when the owner of the K-reg car realised it had been stolen. Just after midnight the following day, an officer saw Smee speeding along Queensway in Salford. The car was going the wrong way and narrowly missed a pedestrian who was so close to the car that he felt the draught as it sped past him, the court heard.

District Judge Finestein took the unusual step of allowing Smee to be identified to send a warning to other youngsters who behave in anti-social, dangerous and unacceptable ways."This is an exceptional case of a boy of 13 guilty of a catalogue of offences. It is difficult to underestimate the risks you have posed, not just to your life, but also to other people's lives - you had no ability to control a car."

The judge sentenced Smee to a four-month detention and training order. He was also disqualified from driving for four years - a ban which only comes into force when he is legally old enough to drive at 17. Tests showed he had 50 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Pam Johal, prosecuting, said: "The pedestrian heard a screech of tyres and saw the car driving over 30mph on the wrong side of the road. He felt the draught from the speed of the vehicle and was forced to take a step back."
Smee continued to drive on the wrong side of the road, reaching speeds of up to 70mph. As he approached a roundabout, his front wheel hit a kerb, a tyre burst and he lost control of the car."

The court heard that the teenager rarely attended school and was looked after by his elder sister at night as both his parents - described as an industrious couple - went to work. He spent time with older boys and had been arrested for a number of car-related crimes.

He committed the offences only five weeks after he had been released by a youth court with a supervision order and he is also the subject of an anti-social behaviour order.

Last month, at Salford youth court, he pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, aggravated vehicle-taking and driving with no insurance.

He had already had been caught twice for driving without qualification and also admitted breaching an anti-social behaviour order imposed last June.

Smee and his friends had also been banned from their local McDonald's restaurant in Broughton for threatening staff, shouting racist abuse and throwing a bicycle through a window. He now holds the dubious record for the youngest drink-drive conviction with another 13-year-old caught in Littlehampton, West Sussex, two years ago.

His solicitor Mike Gee, said: "He feels he has let himself and his family down and there has been no offending since the last matter."

Chief Inspector David Bleackley, of Greater Manchester Police's traffic network section said: "It is appalling to think that this youngster was driving round the streets whilst under the influence of alcohol."

[oscarmitre]

Where are the parents?

[fetom]

"who's looking after the children?"

[Coastie 585]

I saw a video of a drunk 9! YEAROLD who stole a car!



How does a nine yearold get drunk, and STEAL A CAR?!?!

[Oldbillplod]

I saw a video of a drunk 9! YEAROLD who stole a car!

There's always somebody who has to go one better

[Coastie 585]

Are you saying that I was trying to "Beat" your record low of 13? Or were you saying that the boy was trying to beat the 13 yearold?

[Coastie 585]

My bad, he wasn't drunk.
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news...ge/30443.shtml

I mean, im not making this stuff up you know. :rolleyes: