Boy racer who chased his love rival at 100mph through residential streets before crashing into a garden pond is jailed for nine months
- Bradley Kitching, 24, had been driving his Mini Cooper through city of York
- Spotted John Carey, 27, he believed had been in relationship with his girlfriend
- Chased him around city streets at 80-100mph before losing control and crashing into large garden pond
- Kitching sentenced to nine months and disqualified from driving for 16 months at York Crown Court
A man who spotted a suspected love rival while the pair where travelling in separate cars and gave chase before crashing in a large garden pond has been jailed.
Bradley Kitching, 24, was driving his Mini Cooper when he saw John Carey, 27, who he believed had been in a relationship with his girlfriend.
Kitching gave chase when Carey drove his Vauxhall Astra VXR away from the scene just before midnight in October 2017.
York Crown Court heard both cars then reached speeds of up to 80-100mph through 30mph residential streets in York before Kitching lost control of his car and ended up in a large garden pond.
Bradley Kitching, 24, was driving his Mini Cooper through York when he spotted John Carey, 27, who he believed had been in a relationship with his girlfriend
Two passengers in his car during the chase suffered serious injuries, including several broken bones.
Carey continued to drive at speed following Kitching’s crash before he also left the road into a wooded area. The impact caused his car to set on fire and it was completely destroyed.
Kitching, from York, and Carey, from Wetherby, North Yorkshire, both escaped with minor injuries.
During the investigation it was established Carey had not informed his insurer that he had points on his licence or that his vehicle had been modified.. As a result the insurer cancelled his policy.
Kitching gave chase when Carey drove his Vauxhall Astra VXR away from the scene just before midnight in October 2017. York Crown Court heard both cars then reached speeds of up to 80-100mph through 30mph residential streets in York before Kitching lost control of his car and ended up in a large garden pond
Carey was found not guilty of dangerous driving at York Crown Court on 20 December 2019, but pleaded guilty to making a false declaration to obtain insurance.
He was given a conditional discharge for 12 months.
Kitching had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious injury at an earlier hearing. He was sentenced to nine months in prison and disqualified from driving for 16 months.
Judge Sean Morris said Kitching’s driving was in the most severe category and, had anyone been killed as a result of the incident, he could have received up to eight to ten years in prison.
Carey continued to drive at speed following Kitching’s crash before he also left the road into a wooded area. The impact caused his car to set on fire and it was completely destroyed
Following the case, Sgt Mark Patterson, from North Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Investigation Team, said: ‘Bradley Kitching chose to treat the roads of York like a racetrack, as a way of resolving a petty dispute between himself and another man.
‘Kitching’s driving resulted in two of his passengers suffering serious injuries. He had no regard for other people using the road that night. It is nothing short of a miracle that nobody lost their life as a result of either of the two collisions.
‘Carey admitted lying to his insurance company about his driving licence points and the modifications to his vehicle to make his premium cheaper.
‘These actions have resulted in the insurer cancelling his policy, him being convicted of a fraud offence and being left with a substantial bill for his vehicle which was destroyed in the fire.’