A lying driver overtook a queue of cars who were waiting as a car turned right before smashing into the back of it - then claimed it wasn’t him. However Jack Lynch, 25, was caught out when the victim’s dashcam captured him in the driving seat.
After the collision, Lynch and two others fled from the scene. He later returned to retrieve something from the car before running away, as the victim lay in agony just metres away.
The man was left with whiplash, along with a displaced bone in his shoulder and bruising to his chest. His car, which had been spun 180 degrees on impact, was written off.
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Days after, Lynch made a report to the police claiming that he had been robbed by two masked man with a hammer, who then drove his car away. This was later proved to be false by the dashcam footage.
Lynch, of Great Gates Road, Rochdale, was jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice.
Prosecuting, Jack Troup said that on July 12 this year at around 6.30pm, the victim went to meet a friend to go fishing. He travelled along Oldham Road before he slowed down and indicated to turn right into a residential street.
“The road was clear and he made a judgement that it was safe to turn. He turned and felt an impact to the rear of the vehicle,” Mr Troup said.
“A woman was the front passenger seat of another vehicle travelling along Oldham Road. She was one of the vehicles behind him. She observed a black car enter the opposite carriageway to overtake at very high speed.”
The woman could see the other car indicate before it began to turn right before she saw the VW Golf ‘plough’ into the back of it. Such was the impact, it spun the car around and caused it to bounce in the air before it settled on the opposite side of the road.
Three men, including Lynch, got out of the car before moving toward the M62 underpass. The female passenger heard one of the men shout: “go back for it”, before Lynch retrieved something from the car, Mr Troup said.
The victim was helped by the woman, along with other members of the public who called an ambulance and his wife. He was taken to hospital where he was found to have a displaced bone in his shoulder which he still requires surgery for. He said he has difficulties sleeping and going about his day-to-day life due to his injuries.
A few days later, Lynch reported that he had been the victim of a robbery, and provided a statement to the police.
“He said he was the owner of the VW Golf and admitted to driving it that day (July 12). He accepted he had no insurance and no valid driving licence,” Mr Troup continued.
“He claimed that whilst approaching a junction, two men wearing face coverings had a hammer to the side of his face and told him to 'get out of the f****** car', and the two men drove the vehicle away. The Crown’s case is that this is entirely false.”
Dashcam from the victim's car identified Lynch as the driver of the Golf at the time of the crash. He later surrendered to the police and was arrested. The court heard Lynch had five previous convictions for 11 offences including for dangerous driving.
Defending, Adam Roxborough said his client was in a ‘panic’ after the collision and said he knows he made a false statement. He added that he has a difficult family life as his partner has recently given birth to their child, whilst also looking after their other children.
Jailing him for a year, Judge Matthew Corbett-Jones said: “You were not thinking about your children when you committed these offences.
“Fortunately, no one else was arrested as a consequence of your lies. Due to your previous convictions and the fact you went out to commit an offence of perverting the course of justice, means that the offending is far too serious for anything other than an immediate custodial sentence.”
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