His driving was deemed ‘totally unacceptable’ at Hull Crown Court
A panicking motorcyclist who had stashes of cannabis hidden under his seat desperately tried to flee from the police during a chase – but he ended up crashing into a police car that was being used to block off his escape route. Connor Goodwin recklessly thought that he could just about speed through a gap between the police car and a fence but he ended up hitting the vehicle’s opened door and trapping and injuring an officer, Hull Crown Court heard.
Goodwin, 22, of Ormesby Walk, Cottingham, admitted dangerous driving, possessing cannabis with intent to supply, possessing cocaine and possessing £2,000 cash as criminal property on May 30 last year. Jane Rapin, prosecuting, said that Goodwin was riding a motorcycle in Spring Bank, Hull, at about 9.15pm when police signalled for him to stop because of the standard of his driving.
Goodwin failed to stop and he was riding at 45 to 50mph in a 30mph limit. He started to overtake another vehicle in Spring Bank West and he was again asked to stop but he again did not do this and continued weaving in and out of lanes.
He went through red traffic lights in the Chanterlands Avenue area and collided with a Kia car. He mounted a pavement and turned left onto a cycle track which led to Anlaby Road.
Police went to the other end of the track in an attempt to block him off and an officer got out of his vehicle. Goodwin did not stop and he tried to ride the motorcycle between the gap between a fence and the police car.
The policeman was standing behind his car’s front door and he tried to protect himself with the door but the motorcycle hit the door, causing Goodwin to fall off. The officer suffered a shoulder injury, including pain and numbness, after becoming trapped.
“The defendant was evading the police and it was an obviously highly dangerous manoeuvre,” said Miss Rapin. “The offence resulted in injury and damage.”
Cannabis could be smelled and 10 bags of the drug were found under the motorcycle seat. Goodwin was searched and nine small bags of cocaine were found.
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Messages on a phone indicated the supply of drugs. Goodwin was taken into custody and he was found to have £2,000 cash in his jacket. He made no comment to all questions during police interview. He had no previous convictions.
Oliver Shipley, mitigating, said that Goodwin had a debt at the time and he was using more drugs than he could afford. “He has willingly found himself in the situation where he was involved in dealing,” said Mr Shipley.
“It was just a catalogue of very poor decisions over a period of time. This was a terrible decision, firstly not to stop for the police but, on a more deeply profound level, to be dealing drugs.
“He accepts that this was a terrible example of dangerous driving and it is quite right that there has to be punishment for it. It was linked to the drugs offences. He was a drug user at the time.”
The cocaine was for Goodwin’s own use. There was no serious injury to the policeman and minor damage was caused to the police vehicle.
“Things are turning around now,” said Mr Shipley. “He has stopped his drug use now. He has been able to free himself of that voluntarily. “There have been no repeat offences and no further offending at all. He is not a hardened criminal. There are prospects. He is hopeful of gaining employment in the near future.”
Recorder Simon Goldberg KC told Goodwin: “There is absolutely no excuse for the way you drove on that day. There is sympathy with the officer who was put in harm’s way. The court regards your driving as totally unacceptable.”
Goodwin was given a 20-month suspended prison sentence, 200 hours’ unpaid work, a three-month 7pm to 7am curfew and 15 days’ rehabilitation. He was banned from driving for 18 months and he must pass an extended retest before he can drive legally again. The £2,000 cash will be forfeited and given to the St Paul’s boxing club charity, Hull.