Donuts caught on camera on Wellingborough industrial estate prove costly for three drivers

Three drivers who were caught doing donuts on a Wellingborough industrial estate have been left counting the cost after footage of their showboating was submitted to Northamptonshire Police.

Callum David Oldfield, Derice Davis and Louie Craighead were caught on CCTV in Sinclair Drive on the Park Farm industrial estate performing donuts and handbrake turns on the evening of June 24 last year.

In the footage, 20-year-old Craighead is seen driving his black Ford Fiesta towards the camera at speed and performs a handbrake turn before reversing out of shot as 29-year-old Oldfield and 29-year-old Davis drive into the shot.

As Oldfield’s blue BMW 3 Series finished a donut manoeuvre, Davis joins him in his silver BMW and both drivers briefly drift their cars against each other – simulating a drift battle – before driving off.

The footage was uploaded to the force’s Operation Snap online portal and when reviewed, police officers believed that the video proved all three men had driven their cars without due care and attention in a public place.

All three received postal requisition and were summonsed to appear before Wellingborough Magistrates Court on February 5, where the trio pleaded guilty to the single charge of driving a vehicle on a road in a public place without due care and attention.

At the court hearing Craighead of Cross Lane in Aldwincle was fined £107 and had six penalty points added to his driving licence. He was also ordered to pay £110 costs and £43 victim surcharge.

Davis, of no fixed address, was fined £306, had six penalty points added to his driving licence and was ordered to pay £110 costs and £112 victim surcharge.

Oldfield of Centenary Way, Raunds was fined £253, had five penalty points added to his driving licence and was ordered to pay £110 costs and £101 victim surcharge.

Northamptonshire Police safer roads manager Matthew O’Connell said: “This is one type of donut we don’t want to see, and they have no place anywhere on our public roads.

“The irresponsible behaviour of these drivers not only put themselves at unnecessary risk but also other road users.

"I am pleased the courts have issued robust penalties which may act as a deterrent to others.

“The screeching of tyres can have a negative impact on our local communities, while this type of anti-social behaviour can also be costly to business owners, who are left to clear the tyre debris littered around entrances to their premises.

“The success of Operation Snap is down to continued support from the public, who enable us to act against driving offences we otherwise wouldn’t see, and we would encourage people to install dash-cams and continue to submit footage.

“Hopefully this case also demonstrates that we take all instances of poor driving very seriously and we will prosecute offenders accordingly, which can only be a good thing to help keep our roads safer.”

People can report driving offences by uploading video evidence via an online portal on the force website and completing a form, which automatically creates a witness statement to provide a full account of the incident. 

For more information about Operation Snap or for details on how to submit video footage, visit the Northamptonshire Police website at www.northants.police.uk/OpSnap