Repeat offender told 'you threw away a second chance'

DHB tells 26-year-old his offending puts others at risk

A Castletown man has been jailed for 12 months after being told he ‘threw away a second chance’.

Ashley Robert Gardner, of Ronague Road, was sentenced at Douglas Courthouse after pleading guilty to a number of driving offences.

Police saw the 26-year-old on a motorbike in Colby just after 4.30pm on 8 July.

His riding was described as being ‘out of control’ and he was swerving across the road.

They followed him to Cronk-Y-Thatcher and noted he was picking up the bike off the road after crashing it.

Officers told him to stop but he revved the bike, causing it to hit their police vehicle, and then rode off.

They followed him into the Cronk Cullyn estate and found the bike abandoned and Gardner trying to climb a wall; he failed a roadside breath test and was arrested.

Gardner later admitted drink driving, failing to stop, having no driving licence or insurance and driving whilst disqualified.

The court heard Gardner was the subject of a suspended sentence at the time after being convicted, three months earlier, for assaulting police officers.

A month before the new offences Gardner was sentenced for drug driving and possession of MDMA after rolling his car at Fisher's Hill.

His advocate told the court her client had difficulty with ‘substance misuse’ adding: “He doesn’t necessarily deal with periods of instability and change.”

Jailing Gardner Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood told him she couldn’t give him another chance adding: “You put other people at risk with your offending."

Imposing a 16-week custodial sentence for the new driving offences she also activated eight months of the original suspended sentence.

Gardner will also be disqualified from driving for five years.