Man fined after driving van with wife clinging on

A Lincoln man who drove off leaving his wife clinging to his van has been fined £60 by a judge after he missed two sessions of unpaid work.

Jonny Joseph Rooney, 21, was given 150 hours of unpaid work at a hearing in December after he admitted careless driving and failing to stop after an accident.

It followed an incident in which his wife was thrown to the ground when he drove off as she was about to get into his van in Webster Close, Lincoln.

Rooney, of Webster Close, Lincoln, admitted failing to turn up for two unpaid work sessions in April and May this year when he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court today.

His original offence occurred in August last year when he drove off leaving his wife clinging to his van.

The court heard that Mrs Rooney was about to get into the passenger seat when her husband accelerated away. She was thrown to the ground but is not believed to have been injured.

Rooney was given 150 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for six months when he was originally sentenced in December.

The incident was witnessed by a neighbour who looked out and saw the van as he was watching television in his living room.

Edna Leonard, prosecuting, said Mr Rooney’s wife was standing with one foot on the ground and the other foot in the van.

Miss Leonard told the court: “Quite obviously she was about to get in. However the vehicle accelerated away at speed.

“She was clinging on to the van and was heard to say ‘Jonny.’ ”

Rooney’s wife fell to the ground and the van sped off. She was thought to be injured but did not speak to the police, Miss Leonard added.

The court heard Rooney returned to the scene and told police “I’m Jonny Rooney, I was driving the van earlier with the incident with my wife.”

In February this year a judge gave Rooney a further 20 hours of unpaid work for not attending work sessions and warned him that it was his last chance.

David Eager, in mitigation, told the court Rooney had now “knuckled down ” and nearly completed all of his unpaid work.

Mr Eager said: “Only yesterday he travelled all the way to Grimsby to find an unpaid work session. He has just six hours left which he will do later this week.”

Judge John Pini QC fined Rooney £60 and told him: “You have just about got to the finishing line with this order although at times it has been a struggle to get you to complete it.

“But you have now knuckled down and have just six hours left.”