Drunk crash driver made a 'hide car' plea

A drunk motorist who offered a garage mechanic £4,000 to "hide" his father's BMW after crashing it into a Black Country bus stop injuring two people has been jailed.

Sanjeev Jhim made no effort to help the victims who were left lying in the street among the tangled remains of the shelter, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

The speeding car careered out of control when the 26-year-old fell asleep at the wheel after taking the S-Reg 5-Series without permission to buy cigarettes following a late night drinking session in the family's pub, said prosecutor Mr Mark Phillips.

Dhanwant Singh Bahra saw the BMW and managed to pull Annette Whitaker — who was waiting for a bus alongside him — out of the way.

Both suffered cuts, bruises and shock in the 8.30am smash in Hill Top, West Bromwich. Jhim did not stop and continued past both his home and The Sow and Pig pub in Hill Top to a nearby garage despite the car having two flat tyres, a broken window and extensive damage.

As police cars rushed to the crash, mechanic Sean Smith checked the vehicle.

Mr Phillips said:"Jhim began to shake and breath heavily and said to Mr Smith: 'Put it in the depot, hide it for me, and I will give your four grand'. Mr Smith called the police. An hour after the June 19 crash, Jhim still tested more than two and a half times the legal drink-drive limit.

Mr Stephen Blower told how Jhim had been sleeping after drinking heavily.

"He awoke, wanted a cigarette and went to a service station where a young lady worked whom he like the look of," said Mr Blower. "He then felt drowsy and had this horrendous accident. In his befuddled state, and because he knew he was not insured for his father's car and therefore should not have been driving it, he went to Kwik-Fit.

"He denies saying he wanted the vehicle hidden but insists that he asked for it to be removed so that his father would not know the car had been involved in an accident."

Jhim admitted aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and attempting to pervert the course of justice. He was jailed for 18 months and had a two-year driving ban.

Judge John Wait ordered that £400 be paid out of public funds to Mr Bahra in recognition of the courage he showed.