Strict Penalty For Motorist Who Splashed Family

Samuel Lees, a 22-year-old motorist in Colchester, was seen by a police officer earlier this year driving at speed through a puddle soaking Debbie Pugh and her two children as they walked to school.

Lees received a fine of £500 as well as six points on his licence which means that as a new driver he will lose his licence. Anyone receiving six points within two years of passing their test has their licence revoked. Chelmsford magistrates also ordered him to pay £90 court costs and a £50 victim surcharge on top of his £500 fine.

However, Pugh finds the severity of his sentence too strict instead suggesting that a driver awareness court would have been enough of a punishment. The traffic policeman who witnessed the incident, PC Mark Hercules, argues that Lees’ actions caused distress to the young children who got drenched and that he could have potentially lost control of his vehicle and caused a danger to other road users following his actions.

Lees argues that his actions were not reckless at all and that he did not mean to splash the family as that kind of behaviour is not in his nature. He now faces losing his job through losing his licence since he uses his red VW Polo to drive to work in Chelmsford, 25 miles from his home in Colchester.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below: