Dangerous driver with child onboard jailed

Nothing quite annoys our Motorcycle Section more than dangerous drivers but when they have children in the car it takes it to the next level.

Daniel Duffy clearly had no regard for the three-year-old in his backseat when he drove at 98mph on the A690 and ran red lights last October.

After crashing into a curb, the 39-year-old abandoned the vehicle, leaving his partner Kelly Unsworth and the child in the car.

Unsworth refused to give PC Simpson Duffy’s name and instead claimed a stranger called James had been driving.

Duffy, of East Rainton, was later arrested and charged with dangerous driving and having no licence or insurance.

And today he was sentenced to 16 months in prison at Newcastle Crown Court.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years and eight months and will have to sit an extended driving test if he does reapply.

Meanwhile, Unsworth was later charged and found guilty of obstructing a constable.

The 37-year-old, of East Rainton, was given a six-month conditional discharge along with more than £100 in costs when she appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on December 6, 2024.

PC Simpson said: “I was personally disgusted to find a helpless three-year-old was in the back of this car.

“Instead of just stopping and being dealt with at the roadside for having no documents, Duffy made the conscious decision to risk the safety of everyone in the car to selfishly try and avoid prosecution and get away.

“Instead, he crashed his car abandoning Unsworth and the child whilst he jumped over garden fences.

“Our message is simple: dangerous driving to avoid prosecution is never worth it. Just pull over and own what you have done, don’t risk your freedom and the safety of others just to get away.

“The Motorcycle Section welcome the court’s decision to send Duffy to prison and we hope Duffy will now have time to think about his actions behind bars.”