Young driver without speedometer caused crash, court hears

A 21-year-old driver, who caused a serious crash, was driving without a speedometer, a court has heard.

Geraint Priestley, a farmworker from Morfa Nefyn, Gwynedd, left a couple with “grave” injuries when he collided with their vehicle in his Land Rover Defender near Pwllheli, on Boxing Day 2022.

He pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving and on Thursday was sentenced to 10 months in jail, suspended for 18 months, along with 200 hours of unpaid work, and given a 16-month driving ban.

Judge Niclas Parry at Mold Crown Court said Priestley considered his vehicle to be a “toy” before the crash.

Having passed his driving test just months earlier, the defendant had been driving for at least a month without a working speedometer, despite his parents’ warnings, the court heard.

Mr Parry said: “Your immaturity no doubt contributed towards your cavalier attitude towards road safety.

“Entirely consistent with your attitude to road safety, you drove in a way which meant you were out of control of that large vehicle.”

Defence barrister Elen Owen said the lack of a speedometer may not have contributed significantly to the crash, which happened after the Land Rover clipped the road’s side following a bend on a 50mph limit road.