Motorcyclist banned from the roads after breaking leg in head-on crash with car in Sunderland

Josh Cutts was thrown over the top of his Honda motorbike after the crash in Leechmere Way on April 11 this year, a court heard.

Still unable to walk after breaking his femur in the crash, the 21-year-old appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention.

Cutts, of Lilian Avenue, also admitted driving without insurance, without a valid test certificate and otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Prosecutor Rachael Glover said: “Victoria Gibson was driving her vehicle on Leechmere Way about 5-10mph because there were parked cars on either side of the road.

“Out of nowhere a motorbike has come towards her and hit her head on.”

Ms Gibson heard a bang and the airbag in her car deployed. She noticed smoke coming through the vent, the court heard.

She estimated that the bike had been going about 60mph – in a 20mph zone – but this was disputed by the defendant.

Cutts was thrown ‘over the top’ of his bike, the court heard, and suffered a broken femur. He is still unable to walk unaided and appeared before magistrates in a wheelchair.

Ms Gibson also had to be taken to hospital with cuts and bruises.

The prosecutor added: “The defendant was interviewed about the offence and he says the he just left the house and drove around the block as he just put his bike up for sale.”

Defence solicitor Charlton Carr said: “He is emotional about this whole situation.

“He has ended up with some very significant injuries.”

He argued that Ms Gibson could not have accurately measured Cutts speed due to the direction of travel, repeating his client’s assertion that he was travelling between 30 and 35mph.

“He wasn’t expecting her to be in the middle of the road.

“He was effectively testing [the bike] out to make sure everything worked right before he sold it. He certainly wasn’t intending to drive it beyond the day of the accident.”

Sentencing him, chairman of the bench Stephen Bradley said: “Let’s just hope you fully recover from this and you learn a valuable lesson about driving a dangerous vehicle at speed.”

Cutts was fined £260 and must pay a victim surcharge of £32. He was also banned from driving for six months.