A MAN who reversed over his friend and then drove off without assisting him has been placed on a bond and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
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Peter Dorrington, 30, of Bannerman Crescent in Kelso, appeared before magistrate Michael Allen in Bathurst Local Court charged with negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm, failing to stop and assist after an impact causing injury, and using an uninsured and unregistered motor vehicle.
Police facts told how Dorrington was at his house with friends drinking in the early hours on February 5, 2012.
Later that night the group went to a William Street hotel where Dorrington got into a fight with an ex-girlfriend regarding the status of their relationship.
Dorrington caught a cab back home at 2am, but he and his former girlfriend had exchanged texts and calls which had upset him.
He grabbed the keys to a car and said: “[expletive] this, I’m going to find her.”
Dorrington got into the car, and his friends tried to persuade him not to drive. One of them tried to grab the keys from the ignition.
Another friend was standing at the rear of the car when Dorrington reversed harshly, striking his friend, who was dragged under the vehicle and onto the roadway.
Another friend yelled: “You just hit Leeroy.” Dorrington slowed the car before driving off.
The court heard the victim suffered a 20-centimetre laceration to his right thigh, a broken right scapula, fractured rib and broken rib bone. He also had bruising to the right lung and kidney, plus cuts and abrasions.
Dorrington attended Bathurst Police Station on February 5, told police he was driving the vehicle and admitted to striking the victim and driving off.
On the charge of negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm, Dorrington was convicted and placed on a Section 9 Bond for two years, and disqualified from driving for one year. He was also placed under the supervision of the Probation and Parole Service.
For failing to stop and assist, he was also placed on a two-year Section 9 Bond, and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
For driving an unregistered and uninsured car, he was fined $200 per offence.
A subsequent charge of the vehicle not complying with standard tyres was dealt with under Section 10A.