Dangerous driver from Northampton told he is '˜one lamb chop theft' away from jail

Unemployed Dylan Elliott, 21, of Aspen Close, Northampton, was handed a suspended eight-month prison sentence at Northampton Crown Court yesterday, after pleading guilty to charges of dangerous driving, driving without a licence and being in charge of an uninsured vehicle.

At around 5.50am on September 26 last year, police witnessed Elliott travelling at high speed along Boughton Green Road in Kingsthorpe and leaving skidmarks as he braked.

“He then travelled across a roundabout where there was effectively no road on the other side,” said Dominic Woolard, prosecuting.

“He drove into the front driveway of a house and crashed into a pink vehicle, which travelled into the garage of the homeowner.”

Elliott was arrested at the scene, where he had caused around £5,500 worth of damage.

He was supposed to be sentenced in February this year, but Judge Rupert Mayo deferred his judgement until yesterday to give Elliott a chance to find “some employment and stay out of trouble.”

Though Elliott was convicted of driving while disqualified on June 2 this year, the judge said the additional offence did not warrant sending the defendant to prison.

“I think what this man needs is stability,” Judge Mayo said. “If he gets a job that’s even better. I don’t think locking this man up is going to achieve much.”

And turning to Elliott, he added: “If you are silly enough to commit any other offence punishable by imprisonment, I’m not going to show you any mercy.

“Even if you steal a lamb chop from the Co-op you will be back here.”

As part of his suspended sentence, Elliott will have to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and will be subject to a three-month curfew.