Thomas Dunn, of Mayfair, Stourbridge, appeared before the High Court in Birmingham today (Monday 29 April, 2019) and was fined £500 and ordered to pay costs of £931.50.
He had previously admitted to breaching the injunction by participating in a car cruise at Springvale Avenue in Bilston on the evening of 14 October, 2018.
The court was told that a local resident heard car engine noises, wheels screeching and cheering from the direction of Springvale Avenue at around 8.45pm, and upon investigation witnessed a number of breaches of the injunction which he recorded using his vehicle's dashcam.
A total of five vehicles, including 19 year old Dunn’s Toyota MR2, were involved in the car cruise, during which vehicles were seen overtaking the witness's car at speed and driving in convoy before heading away onto the Black Country Route.
His Honour Judge McKenna, sitting as a High Court judge, said: "Mr Dunn has accepted that he is in breach of the injunction by driving in convoy on the evening of 14 October 2018 and as a consequence prohibited activities, namely public nuisance and annoyance, were caused.”
Earlier this month 25 year old Matthew Horton, of Gayfield Avenue, Brierley Hill, appeared before the High Court for sentencing after admitting participating in the same event. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £931.50.
Both cases were brought by the City of Wolverhampton Council which, together with Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall councils and West Midlands Police, secured the ground breaking injunction in 2015.
Lynsey Kelly, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Head of Community Safety, said: “Car cruising is dangerous, anti-social and illegal, and once again the authorities have demonstrated their ongoing determination to tackle the problem.
"The message is very clear; people who take part in a car cruise in the Black Country will be in breach of a High Court injunction and will face the consequences.”
The injunction bans people from taking part in a car cruise anywhere within Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell or Walsall, or from promoting, organising or publicising any such event in the same area.
It defines car cruising as:
- two or more motor vehicles (including motorbikes) between the hours of 3pm and 7am being on a highway or in a publicly accessible place within the Black Country at which any such vehicle or occupant of a vehicle performs any of the prohibited activities listed below which causes, or is capable of causing, any of the prohibited consequences set out below. Participating in car cruising means being the driver of, or being carried in (or on), a motor vehicle (including motorbikes) in circumstances in which the above applies.
The prohibited activities referred to above are:
- speeding; driving in convoy; racing; performing stunts; sounding horns or playing music as to cause a significant public nuisance; using foul or abusive language; using threatening, intimidating behaviour towards another person; causing obstruction on a public highway, whether moving or stationary.
The prohibited consequences referred to above are:
- excessive noise; danger or risk of injury to road users, including pedestrians; damage or significant risk of damage to property; significant risk of harm; significant public nuisance; significant annoyance to the public.
For more information, please visit Car cruising. Incidents of car cruising should be reported to West Midlands Police on 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.
