A dad is to stand trial accused of causing a crash by squirting drivers with water from a garden hose. Darren Fotheringham, 23, is said to have put motorists at risk with the spray as he played with his kids.
And it’s claimed his actions caused a collision between the vehicles of Robert Piper and Amy Skelton outside his home in Cowie, Stirlingshire.Because, I suppose, water falling from the skies of Scotland is such an unknown occurrence, it’s no surprise it causes panic and avoiding action in even experienced motorists?
Outside the court following yesterday’s hearing, the father of two told reporters: “I can’t say too much as we are going to trial, but it was a hot Sunday and we were in the garden playing round the kids’ paddling pool. If there was an accident then it certainly wasn’t my fault.”Unless that’s a powerful enough hose to cause a car to veer off course (and if that’s so, it’d surely be unsafe around the kiddiewinks?) it’s hard to see that he doesn’t have a point there…
Nevertheless, the Scottish equivalent of the CPS is ploughing ahead:
Fotheringham faces a single charge that he “culpably and recklessly aimed a water hose into the faces of passing motorists” near his home at Mount Oliphant, Cowie on May 27 — one of the hottest days of the year.*sigh*
Prosecutor Claire Bremner told the hearing two witnesses had been cited and the Crown was prepared for trial. Fotheringham’s lawyer Ken Dalling said his client was maintaining his not guilty plea and the defence was also prepared. Sheriff Wyllie Robertson continued the case for trial on October.One to watch….
H/T: Old Holborn via Twitter
Had this recklessness caused a vehicle to swerve into and crush an innocent cyclist (which it could so easily have done) you would be the first to shake your broom at the Authorities. Oh, wait...better substitute your black cat for the cyclist.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, a quickle google of the street shows a housing estate. My assumption is, therefore, that if the drivers had been watching the road instead of the chavs playing with water, then the collision may not have happened at all - but "someone" must be to blame for the drivers errors of course. More fools the Polis for getting involved, we all know where it will end, public money wasted on pointless court time.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't believe a word of it.
ReplyDeleteEverybody knows that Jocks have a manic aversion to water.
Unless a tot of whisky is added to take away the nasty taste!
ReplyDeletePenseivat
If one of the motormorons had inadvertently activated the screen washers would they have handed themselves in to the police ?
ReplyDeleteif the drivers had been watching the road instead of the chavs playing with water, then the collision may not have happened at all
ReplyDeleteDepends. I once avoided a classic child-squashing accident because I recognized the little scrote and realized he was about to lob something at the car. It turned out to be his plimsoll bag which was soft.
Thus I did not swerve in to the other children coming out of primary school. However, if I hadn't guessed what he was about to do, there was a chance that I would have swerved reflexively.
So in this case it happened to be water hitting the screen but the unexpectedness of it could still cause the driver to react unpredictably e.g. braking suddenly and having the car behind crash in to them.
I wonder if the accused man deliberately squirted the drivers through their open windows? It would make more sense than just being prosecuted for splashing the windscreen.The article does say it was a very hot day so the cars windows would have probably been wound down.
ReplyDeleteJaded
Jaded,
ReplyDeleteNow you're thinking like a Police offier. That just will not do on this blog!
Penseivat
"Had this recklessness caused a vehicle to swerve into and crush an innocent cyclist (which it could so easily have done) you would be the first to shake your broom at the Authorities. "
ReplyDeleteYou think? Frankly, I'd have wondered how the driver got his license, and from which packet of cornflakes...
"If one of the motormorons had inadvertently activated the screen washers would they have handed themselves in to the police ?"
Heh!
"...and realized he was about to lob something at the car. "
A stone is a little different to water, though? Unexpected or not.
"I wonder if the accused man deliberately squirted the drivers through their open windows?"
It's possible. We'll have o see what evidence is presented at trial.