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29
Mar
Harrogate man banned from driving and labelled 'an utter disgrace'
A Harrogate man has been disqualified from driving and labelled an “utter disgrace” by magistrates after a string of driving offences.
Nicolas Martinez, 18, of West End Avenue, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday (March 27) where he spoke to confirm his name, address and enter a plea.
Martinez admitted drink driving, drug driving and failing to report an accident on September 28, 2024, after crashing his car on Farnley Lane in Otley. He also pleaded guilty to causing his car to be left in a dangerous position.
Kaye Barnard, prosecuting, told the court the teenager had been driving an Audi between Harrogate and Otley at 7.30pm when he “failed to negotiate a right hand bend”.
Martinez, who had three passengers, crashed his car into the wall of a property, Ms Barnard said.
She said:
The car was left horizontal across the carriageway with no lights on. The owner of the property came out to speak to him [the defendant] and went back inside to call the police.
The court heard that when the owner came back outside, the defendant had left.
Ms Barnard said police attended the address that the Audi was registered to and ordered the defendant to undertake a breathalyser test, which came back positive for alcohol.
Martinez was then arrested and charged.
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old was also involved in another crash on Penny Pot Lane which he was sentenced for in court.
Ms Barnard said the defendant was driving a Ford Focus, which belonged to his mother, when he crashed the car near Oakdale Bridge on Penny Pot Lane on January 24 this year.
Police found no one at the scene of the crash when they attended, the court heard.
Martinez was later charged with failing to stop for an accident, driving without due care and attention and driving without third party insurance. He admitted the offences at a previous hearing.
‘Appalling driving record’
Peter Minnikin, defending, told the court that the defendant had pleaded guilty to all offences at the earliest opportunity.
However, Mr Minnikin added that Martinez was still a young man and now had an “appalling driving record”.
He said:
He thinks he is a man, but he has ultimately realised that he is very young.
Mitigating for the defendant, Mr Minnikin said Martinez had tried to find help when he crashed near Otley. When that failed, he went to find help but when he returned his friends had left, the court heard.
Magistrates sentenced Martinez to a 12-month community order, which includes 15 rehabilitation activity days and 110 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to wear an alcohol abstinence tag for 120 days.
The 18-year-old was also banned from driving for 29 months for drug driving, which runs concurrently with his drink-driving offence.
He was also ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £114.
Magistrates told Martinez during sentencing:
The extent of your offending is an utter disgrace.
The way you are heading is in only one direction. But it is up to you to decide which way you want to go.
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