Driver smashed through level crossing barrier
A 44-year-old man caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage when he drove directly through level crossing barriers when they were down.
David Smith, of Little Station, Walsall, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown court on Wednesday, charged with travelling across a level crossing, endangering the safety of a person on a railway.
Smith, who pleaded guilty to the charge, was given an eight month custodial sentence suspended for 12 months as well as told to complete 100 hours of unpaid work. He was also given an eight-month disqualification from driving and ordered to pay £1,500 in costs to the prosecution and a £100 victim surcharge.
The court heard how, on August 14 2014, Smith was driving along Willenhall Lane, Walsall, when he failed to stop at a level crossing when the barriers were down, and drove directly through them, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
Sentencing Smith, Recorder Benjamin Mills said: "Your actions caused serious damage to the barriers and caused a great deal of inconvenience to others.
"It is a matter of small fortune that it was not far far worse.
"This is an offence that is so serious that it certainly crosses the custody threshold. After trial you would have received ten months in prison. But because you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and were very candid in your interview with British Transport Police, I have reduced this to eight months, and suspended it for 12 months."
The court heard how Smith had previously appeared before the court for a further driving offence - using his mobile phone behind the wheel in November 2014.
Recorded Mills added: "I am going to give you 15 per cent credit for your early guilty plea, which is a generous amount.
"You are a 44-year-old man of previous good character with a good record.
"I know that any disqualification from driving will have serious consequences for you and will bring considerable financial hardship. But because of the consequences of your actions, those who drive in that manner over level crossings must be shown what happens.
"The shortest disqualification I can impose is one of eight months from today.
"There are also costs involved of £1,500 and I am going to make you pay those costs but I will defer the first payment until March 1 2017, when it will then by paid by the rate of £150 a month."
