Mum shops her hit-and-run son

A HIT-and-run driver who ploughed into a jogger before leaving her injured in the road has been jailed after being shopped to police by his mum.

Nicholas Smith had worked a nightshift and then had breakfast in a pub where he drank a pint of beer, a court heard.

On his way home the 22-year-old, of Oldlands Avenue, Coalpit Heath, hit runner Mushina Sarwar in Frampton Cotterell.

Bristol Crown Court heard he was not speeding or over the alcohol limit and had simply lost control, without any apparent reason.

5 O'CLOCKTAILS

Brasserie Blanc

View details

Print voucher

This week's delicious £5 5 O'CLOCKTAIL is a refreshing Tequila Sunrise. Available everyday from our Bar for only £5 between 5pm & 7pm.

Terms: £5 cocktail applies to the cocktail of the week.

Contact: 0117 2448281

Valid until: Monday, May 27 2013

But after the accident he did not stop and instead went home, calling his mother and telling her someone had hit his car.

The court was told he came from an upstanding family and it was his mother who realised his involvement in the accident and immediately spoke to police.

Ms Sarwar suffered serious long-term injuries as a result of the collision.

Smith, 22, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop following the collision in April.

Jason Taylor, prosecuting, said another driver had to mount the kerb to avoid Smith before he struck Ms Sarwar, throwing her into the air so she crumpled back down onto his windscreen.

Mr Taylor said: "Unfortunately he failed to stop. The ambulance was called and Miss Sarwar was taken to hospital, where she stayed for nine days. She suffered a broken femur which had to have a metal rod, a cartilage tear to her left knee, multiple bruises and had to have stitches to her nose and jaw.

"When Mrs Smith got home two hours later she saw the damage. She heard there had been an accident and she put two and two together.

"She went to the scene and she explained to the officers what she was aware of."

The judge described Mrs Smith's conduct as "very responsible".

Smith told police he could not remember the accident. He admitted spending the morning in question in a pub but said he had just the one drink there.

He passed his driving test just seven weeks previously.

Miss Sarwar wrote a victim impact statement, in which she said she could not walk or sleep, had lost her job and felt it would be a slow process to regain the life she once had.

Tabitha Macfarlane, defending, stressed her client was a young man of previous good character who had always worked. She said he had sought the help of his GP to diagnose the reason for what happened, but nothing was forthcoming.

She said: "He is incredibly remorseful. He comes from a very close family and his mother surrendered herself and her son at the scene."

A message to the court from Smith's family said: "We sincerely apologise as a family to the young lady. We hope, in time, she'll get back to the life that she used to lead."

Jailing Smith for eight months, Judge Carol Hagen told him the case was too serious for anything other than immediate custody.

She said: "Serious injury was caused. How is a total mystery.

"That young woman received long-standing and serious injuries and it is clear that she has suffered both physically and psychologically.

"It is an injury which is on-going and one hopes she will recover."

Smith was banned from driving for two years and told he must pass an extended driving test before returning to the road. As Smith was sent down an upset supporter in the public gallery screamed: "It was an accident, for Christ's sake!"