Driver sacked after fleeing crash scene during lunch our chippy run

Daniel Wilkin, also known as Mountford, abandoned his wrecked Audi A3, in Washington, because he was on a final warning at work, Sunderland magistrates heard.

The 23-year-old, who had crashed into trees after losing control after picking up lunch, lost his job when police arrived looking for him.

At Sunderland Magistrates Court, he was banned from the road for six months.

Prosecutor Lee Poppett said: “Shortly before 1pm on November 22, police received a report of a road traffic accident on Teal Farm Way in Washington.

“A gray Audi A3 motor vehicle had crashed into a set of trees. The vehicle itself was locked and secure and there was nobody present.

“There was extensive damage to the vehicle and to the trees and it was quite clear it had collided with them.”

Checks revealed Wilkin was the registered keep of the car and officers paid him a visit at his work on the nearby Pattinson Industrial Estate.

He told police he had been driving to a chip shop in his lunch hour, when he believed he had skidded on an oil or wet patch.

He told officers he had been driving at between 30 and 40mph on the 30mph stretch.

Mr Poppett said: “His motor vehicle had spun, colliding with trees.

“He believed the vehicle was simply unrepairable so he locked it and returned to work.”

Wilkin, of Leamside, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, failing to stop after an accident, and two counts of driving without insurance, including one dating back to another incident in July.

Jason Smith, defending, said: “He left the vehicle there. He was on his lunch and he was already on his final warning from work.

“He thought that, because nobody was involved, there were no injuries and it was only his own vehicle that was damaged, he would leave it with the intention to go back later.

“He had to go back to work or he would have been sacked.”

He added: “He didn’t honestly believe he had a legal obligation to stay in his vehicle and report the accident. It’s a bit of an unfortunate situation.

“The reality is that he lost his job as a consequence of being spoken to by the police officer at work.

“He’s probably been punished more than others would in these circumstances.”

Wilkin was fined £240 and was told to pay costs of £170 a £30 surcharge.

He was given 13 penalty points and was banned from driving for six months.