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Left for dead
Reporter: Erin Heywood
Date online: 21 March 2013
Woman, 74, in hit-and-run horror
AN uninsured driver who left a 74-year-old woman for dead after knocking her down in a busy car park and driving off has been jailed for three months and disqualified from driving.
Shirley Mason suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain after Brian Montgomery (20) collided with her last November. If she should ever be well enough to leave hospital she will need 24-hour care.
The horror unfolded when Montgomery drove himself and friends to Bardsley Post Office, Oldham Magistrates’ Court heard.
When his friends returned to the car he reversed to leave, but hit Mrs Mason. Driving without insurance and on a provisional licence, he drove off at speed down a grass embankment and across a footpath on to Ashton Road. Passers-by called an ambulance and Mrs Mason was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital for life-saving brain surgery. Nursing staff believed she had fallen.
Mrs Mason was transferred to Hope Hospital and has been there ever since, with no recollection of the incident. Only when a family member went to the post office two days later to look at CCTV footage was it revealed she had been hit by a car. The film was given to police who traced the car to Montgomery’s address in Farm Road, Limeside.
The incident has devastated the former healthy and independent Mrs Mason’s family.
Her daughter, Carol, said in statement to the court there had been no improvement in her mother’s condition.
She said of Montgomery: “He left her for dead. He should have stopped. But he’s just a young boy who made a mistake.”
Montgomery pleaded guilty to failing to report an accident, driving without a licence, driving without third party insurance and driving without due care. He had also failed to admit he was driving after being asked by police to give the driver’s identity.
Sentencing Montgomery, District Judge Prowse said: “This was an error of judgement. You knocked over a 74-year-old woman and had no regard for her welfare. Her life has been irreparably damaged by what you did. You kept your head down and hoped to get away with it. This is about as serious as it gets.”
Comments
"This is as serious as it gets" says Judge Prowse. No driving licence, no insurance, driving without due care and attention, failing to report an accident and then obstructing the Police. 3 months Judge Prowse? Is that all for destroying a 74 year old ladies life, not to mention her family and friends. Its scandalous, thats what it is.
3 months? What a complete joke. 5 years should have been given at the least. No doubt he's a lovely lad though. No wonder this country is in a mess.
Wow jailed for 3 months, I bet he is quaking in his shoes. Far too lenient!
Only jailed for 3 months!!!! What a joke...
This isn't just a case of bad driving so often the case with under 25 males, it is downright criminality. There are a string of offences here, and yet again we are faced with incompetent policing. Why did a family member need to go chasing CCTV footage himself when the useless Police should have been doing that?
3 months! What a joke.
"This is as serious as it gets" and you only give him a 3 month sentence, what a joke, absolutely makes me sick.
I like the quote from the judge saying it was an error of judgement. I think the judges judgement is in error giving a joke sentence like 3 months. Our judiciary are so way off the mark it makes me cringe.
Lets get this right. He is old enough to vote, drink and own property, sign contracts. He knows right from wrong.
Uninsured provisional license holder does a hit and run and leaves an old lady for dead. He does not admit to police he was driving. This was not an error of judgement nor is he a young boy who made a mistake.
3 months ? ya kiddin and what's the point disqualifying a guy with only a provisional no insurance ,I am sure that will stop him doing it again. He should have got minimum 12 months this is bonkers
Only three months?
3 months for a life that is ruined. its a failing of the judicial system.
He and his friends new just what had happened and tried to avoid the conciquences.
And the justice system condons it.
About as serious as it gets and the sentence is three months? Given that in fact this will probably be halved, it isn't much for ruining someone's life. A disqualification won't mean much to somebody who drives without insurance.
Laughable the law is an ass,out in less than 6 weeks & back in the road in 12 months with no insurance because it would cost a lad that age 2k so just chance it again the detergent isn't there
too soft a sentence,should have been 5 yrs and banned for life.
If things carry on like this, people will start taking the law into their own hands! If this was my mother I think I'd be tempted to do something drastic!
I don't know why everyone is so surprised at three months. I'm surprised he even got that. The judicial system in this country is an absolute disgrace, a farce and a laughing stock of the entire western world. Does anybody take this country and it's laws seriously anymore?. You get sent down for longer if you refuse to pay your council tax these days
Speechless!!! Gob smacked!! Seriously, what a joke!!
Think the judge needs striking off!!
These shocking sentences will be the reason why crime will increase.
This Judge lives on another Planet, I bet it Would be a lot more if it was one of his relations.
As serious as it gets, yes, you can tell that by the harsh sentence of three months, I am still laughing, obviously you meant to say three years. Such a basic printing error has led people to think he only got three months. Or could it be that, once again, the sentence bears no element of punishment or redress for the victim and family. It would be a joke if it were not so tragically all too common, ten years would have been about right, this "judge" should be removed quickly.
Everyone keeps saying 3 months, it wont be, he will be out in LESS THAN 3 months. Its the judge that wants locking up.
I wonder if this ludicrous sentence would have been given if it had been a child knocked down instead of a 74 year old. Whatever, surely this is a particularly lenient sentence that the CPS should appeal against.
why cannot the prosecution or the family appeal againt the lienency of the sentence
Have Your Say
3 months and disqualified from driving. That is absolutely no deterrent.
By oldhamgent @ 21/03/2013 12:11:53