A banned driver fled the scene after running over a dad and his young son whilst behind the wheel of a stolen car.
Christopher Carr, 23, was disqualified from driving and had no insurance when he hit a man and his five-year-old son as they were crossing the road near to a Gateshead synagogue. Carr, who was driving a stolen Audi and was distracted at the time as he was using his mobile phone, quickly drove away from the scene.
Fortunately, the father and son did not sustain serious injury, and Carr later handed himself in to police. But when his phone was analysed by officers, Snapchat messages were discovered that showed Carr had messaged his partner after the collision saying he had unintentionally "knocked a Jew over".
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Carr, of Pottersway, Gateshead, appeared at Newcastle's Moot Hall on Monday via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for charges of dangerous driving, failing to stop, aggravated vehicle taking, failing to stop at the scene of a collision and driving whilst disqualified and without insurance. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.
The court heard that on September 26 last year, a dad and his five-year-old son were about to cross Bewick Road in Gateshead near to the synagogue when they saw an Audi car.
Nicoleta Alistari, prsoecuting, said: "The Audi took a hard left towards them and hit them both. They fell to the ground and the defendant drove off, despite the father shouting at him."
After the collision, Carr later drove back round to the scene before once again driving off. Ms Alistari said that the Audi was stolen and Carr had no insurance and was banned from driving at the time. A couple of days later, Carr handed himself in to police.
Ms Alistari said that messages were later found on his phone where he admitted to his partner about what had happened, she said: "Snapchat messages that had been exchanged were found where he said he needed somewhere to stay because he had knocked a Jew over...".
The court heard the dad and his son suffered bruising, with the man suffering "prolonged back pain".
Two months after the collision, Carr was once again in trouble with the police when he was involved in a short chase on November 13. Ms Alistari said Carr was behind the wheel of another vehicle and was hitting speeds of up to 60mph in residential areas during the chase, which had to be abandoned by officers. Carr, who had been recognised by a police officer during the incident, was later arrested.
Joe Hedworth, defending, said Carr wished to send his "sincere apology to the man and his little boy for the pain and discomfort caused as a result of being hit". He said he "accepts full responsibility for his actions" and that he is "remorseful and ashamed about what he did".
He said: "He admits he was driving a stolen car and was not concentrating at the junction." He said the accident occurred at "low speed" and that his "conscience got the better of him as he returned to the scene".
Carr was jailed for 20 months and banned from driving for two years and 10 months.
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