A driver who was racing a friend to Tesco ploughed into his car and left one of his passengers with serious head injuries.
Thomas Henwood was going well over the speed limit on Southport’s Sussex Road when he botched an attempt to overtake another car and crashed into it, causing his car to flip over. The soft top of his Mazda MX5 convertible crumpled inwards during the crash, leaving friend Harrison Povey, who was in the passenger seat, with a head injury that required 47 staples to be inserted into his skull.
The 21-year-old was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court today after a judge said his driving could have easily killed someone.
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Sarah Holt, prosecuting, said Henwood, of Aintree, had met with Mr Povey at their mutual friend Luke Girvin’s home in Southport. All three were car enthusiasts and the court heard Henwood and Mr Girvin were “tinkering” with the Mazda when Mr Povey arrived.
She said Mr Povey had come from outside the region and they all decided to go to Tesco to get some food. Yet rather than all going in one car they split into two. Mr Girvin went in his own car and Mr Povey went with Henwood.
Ms Holt said the different routes, as well as Henwood’s later actions, showed it could be inferred the men were seeing who could get to Tesco first. As the two cars went towards Tesco, Mr Girvin took a different route which brought him out on Sussex Road ahead of Henwood with both cars travelling close together
Mr Girvin said he then remembered there were roadworks ahead and went to turn into nearby Poplar Road. Henwood, driving behind him, originally appeared to slow down, but then accelerated fast in an attempt to overtake.
Ms Holt said: “As [Mr Girvin] started the manoeuvre he saw the defendant “coming flying towards” him on the wrong side of the road. Mr Girvin said he did not know the speed of his vehicle but that he was in the process of making the turn when the defendant’s vehicle collided with his rear right hand wheel causing his vehicle to spin around and the defendant’s vehicle to overturn before crashing into a wall.”
Mr Povey, who was in the passenger seat, was badly injured in the crash, with his skull split open due to the car flipping on to its soft roof. He required 47 staples and a multi day hospital stay. He has since made a full recovery. Henwood was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving and pleaded guilty earlier this year.
Tom Gent, defending, said the two cars were not racing in a conventional sense but said Henwood deeply regretted his actions and now viewed them as reckless. He said: “He shows sincere remorse for what he has done. He is desperately sorry. It was a foolish and immature piece of driving. This is a case where his friend, his very close friend, was very badly injured.”
Mr Gent said Henwood, who has no previous convictions, was unlikely to reoffend and appealed to Judge David Swinnerton to suspend Henwood’s sentence. Judge David Swinnerton said the behaviour shown by the men during their drive to Tesco was “testosterone-fuelled” and had disastrous consequences.
He said: “I accept that you are genuinely remorseful, I accept that as a result of what you did you did you have learnt a lesson. I hope that is true because you almost killed your friend.” He said the injuries to Mr Povey and the potential injury to passersby meant Henwood had to go to jail.
He said: "Driving in this sort of manner has to be deterred because it kills people." Henwood, of Aintree Lane, was jailed for 20 months.
