Drug driving: Joshua Aydon from Essex sentenced on 25th birthday

Joshua Aydon fled the scene in Maldon Road, Burnham, in mid Essex, after crashing his BMW 3 series in January, later denying any knowledge of the incident by telling police the car had been stolen.

Police who were alerted to the crash used the numberplate to trace the car back to Aydon, but when officers attended his address in Albert Road in Burnham, he told them he knew nothing about what happened.

Aydon also refused a breathalyser, but was taken by police to hospital where blood tests identified cannabis in his system. 

Stupid – defence barrister Annie Fraser admitted Aydon had been 'stupid' when he lied to police (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

Two months later Aydon requested a second police interview to confess he was driving the BMW, and he attended Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday - the day of his 25th birthday - to be sentenced.

Keith Hadrill, prosecuting, said: “These events took place in the early hours shortly before 1am on Sunday, January 14.

“A BMW 3 Series motor car had collided with a Volkswagen Polo on the Maldon Road in Burnham-on-Crouch.

“The defendant was the driver and there are other occupants in the vehicle.”

"He accepted he lied in his first interview”, Mr Hadrill added.

Aydon was charged with dangerous driving and later admitted one charge of careless driving.

He also admitted failing to co-operate with a preliminary test, driving under the influence of cannabis, failing to stop after a road accident, failing to report a road accident, leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position, and failing to give information relating to a driver.

Annie Fraser, mitigating, told the court Aydon had arranged for a bricklayer to repair a wall which had been damaged by the crash.

Aydon then voluntarily painted the wall as recompense, she added.

Sentenced – Joshua Aydon received a 27-month driving ban and must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

She said: “I find it quite credible that he completely panicked – he went into the police interview and didn’t tell the truth in any particular.

“He is 25 today and spends his birthday in the crown court because of his incredibly stupid behaviour on this occasion.”

Recorder Paul Sharkey sentenced Aydon to 150 hours of unpaid work, disqualified him from driving for 27 months, and ordered him to pay £964.

He said: “Clearly, this was an unacceptable standard of driving.”

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