Driver jailed for deleting footage of hitting man who was already dead
Trainee accountant, 24, is jailed for deleting dashcam footage after hitting the body of a man in the road – without realising he was already dead
- Adrian Jones didn’t realise Michael Bradley had already been hit by another car
- He wiped part of the memory card from his car’s dashcam and visited mechanic
- Bradley was killed on dual carriageway between St Asaph and Rhuddlan, Wales
- The young driver admitted to court that he perverted the course of justice
A trainee accountant has been jailed for deleting footage after hitting the body of a man in the road – without realising he was already dead.
Adrian Jones, 24, – described as ‘exceptional’ by a judge – had no idea that Michael Bradley had been hit by another car just moments earlier.
But Jones was put behind bars for six months after he destroyed evidence by wiping part of the memory card from his car’s dashcam – even though he wasn’t to blame for the death.
Michael Bradley was walking along the A525 dual carriageway between St Asaph and Rhuddlan in north Wales when he was hit and suffered a fatal head injury.
Afterwards, Jones also hit Mr Bradley’s body in his VW Golf.
Trainee accountant Adrian Jones (pictured) has been jailed for six months for deleting footage after hitting the body of a man in the road – without realising he was already dead
He admitted perverting the course of justice at the trial on October 28 at Mold Crown Court.
Prosecutor David Mainstone said police were able to trace the type of car from debris left at the scene and called at Jones’ home in Rhuddlan, North Wales.
Officers noticed Jones’ car had damage to its bumper and undertrays and when they questioned him he said he thought he had struck part of another vehicle.
Mr Mainstone said police then seized the memory card from his car’s dashcam and found part of it was wiped.
He said: ‘It was established that files from January 26 to January 29 had been deleted. He was arrested for perverting the course of justice.’
Mold Crown Court heard Jones’ computer records showed he had made repeated searches for news relating to the crash and punishments for hit-and-run crimes.
The court also heard he had taken his car for repairs at a mechanic, saying he had hit a ‘speed bump’. But the mechanic said it seemed suspicious as the damage was too high up on the car.
When interviewed, Jones told officers he panicked.
He admitted perverting the course of justice at the trial on October 28 at Mold Crown Court (pictured)
Mr Mainstone said: ‘He admitted he should have called the police and lied about the cause of the damage. He was upset and tearful and said he was very sorry for what he had done.’
Simon Killeen, defending, said: ‘He has let himself down, let his family down and put his future in the most serious jeopardy.’
Judge Niclas Parry described Jones as an ‘exceptional’ young man and jail would be a ‘personal tragedy’ for him.
He said: ‘Everything you admitted doing was aimed at avoiding police detection for an incident you believed resulted in death.
‘You are a highly intelligent young man, you have the privileges of a fine upbringing and education, yet you chose to hide the fact that, in your mind, you were responsible for a fatality.
‘You didn’t report that collision or go back to look – you knew that was wrong because the morning afterwards you were Googling about the consequences of committing a crime of hit and run.
‘You would not have known that what you struck was a body. You wouldn’t have been able to see what was struck, but clearly, you knew it was a matter that should have been reported.’
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