A man found driving with his hands bound told officers it was “just a laugh”.

James Hayter, 22, has been given a 12-month community order and handed a driving ban after he took part in a “reckless” dare which saw him get behind the wheel with his hands tied together.

He admitted driving dangerously and driving without insurance at Weymouth Magistrates Court yesterday.

The court heard on Friday, June 22, 2018, Hayter and a group of friends had been “mucking around” in the car park of the Co-op in Bay Road, Gillingham and decided to do dares.
 

Dorset Echo:

Hayter arriving at Weymouth Magistrates Court 

Just before 6pm police saw a blue Volkswagen Polo pull out of the Co-op car park and proceed down Bay Road.

The car was pulled over as officers had concerns the driver did not hold adequate insurance. Lee Turner, prosecuting said officers were “shocked” to find Hayter behind the wheel, driving with his hands “bound together by a zip tie.”

Hayter, of Claremont Avenue, Gillingham told officers his friend had done it “for a laugh.”

“Obviously this was dangerous and he is arrested and reported for dangerous driving,” Mr Turner said.

The court was told Hayter, who has been driving for approximately two years, also did not have insurance to drive the car, which belonged to his parents.

Ian Brazier, mitigating told magistrates Hayter’s behaviour was “impulsive and reckless” but at the time he had been at a “low place in his life” after splitting from his girlfriend.

He added Hayter had also been stopped from seeing his child, which he had from a previous relationship.

Dorset Echo:

Hayter was found behind the wheel with his hands bound together with a zip tie

Mr Brazier said in an “attempt to cheer him up”, Hayter’s friends had “decided it would be amusing to muck around on the car park and do a dare” to see if they could steer a car with their hands tied. 

“This is a young man who is clearly struggling. “He was very upset and he has been punishing himself about it,” Mr Brazier said.

“He hadn’t thought it through,” he said. He added although it was dangerous, Hayter had only driven a very short distance.

Hayter was sentenced to complete 175 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £547 in fines and costs.

He has also been banned from the road for a year.

After the case, Sergeant Mark Farrow, of the No Excuse team, said: “James Hayter’s actions that day were foolish and reckless.

It is nothing but sheer luck that this mindless prank did not lead to a collision or someone getting injured.

“Hayter is now banned from the road for a considerable period of time. He will remain an Operation Dragoon target.

Dorset Police regularly receives and acts upon valuable information provided by members of public in relation to drink and drug driving and other driving offences.”