'Naive' brother and sister lied over drink-drive smash, court is told

A brother and sister lied to police about who was driving when they crashed into a parked car after leaving a party, a court was told.
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Joshe Davies and his older sister Whitney Davies had been in Streethouse on the evening of June 26 last year when their Nissan smashed into a parked car on Meadway at around 10.10pm.

Prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, Philip Standfast said that when police turned up, 28-year-old Joshe Davies told them that he had been driving, but it was not his car.

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He blew over the legal limit and was arrested. The next morning he was interviewed where he confessed he had lied for his sister, who had also been drinking and she was the one who was behind the wheel at the time of the smash.

Leeds Crown Court.Leeds Crown Court.
Leeds Crown Court.

He agreed to take the blame to protect his sister who had recently given birth.

Whitney, 29, was then arrested and was breath tested, where it was found she was over the limit, despite it being 12 hours after the crash. She told police that she had drunk a bottle of vodka after she got home that night.

Probation reports into the pair suggested they had been "naive" and thought the case would be dealt with at magistrates' court.

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Richard Reed, mitigating for Joshe Davies, said: "He has no criminal experience. He had no appreciation of how serious it was."

Joshe, an online jewellery dealer, who lives on Oakwell Road in Kinsley, admitted intending to pervert the course of justice.

Whitney, an account worker, of Whinney Lane, Streethouse, admitted the same charge.

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC, told them: "I think you didn't understand the seriousness of the offence you committed.

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"The serious aspect of this is that the opportunity to breath test you, Whitney Davies, was lost because of this thoroughly dishonest agreement between you.

"The courts regard it as very serious when people interfere with the course of public justice.

"Finding yourself in crown court , I hope it has been a salutary lesson for you.

"It's very unlikely that you will darken the door of a crown court or any other court ever again."

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He said he would not send either to jail because neither had any previous convictions and both were hard working.

He gave them six months' jail, suspended for two years, told them each to pay £500 costs and gave Joshe 150 hours of unpaid work.

Whitney was not given the unpaid work requirement because she is heavily pregnant.