'Selfish' Dudley father abandoned baby in car after police chase
A dangerous driver with a fractured arm abandoned his one-year-old son in his uninsured car during a high-speed pursuit.
A judge blasted as ‘nonsense’ Kyle Watkins’ claims that he fell into crime after an injury left him jobless and branded his weeping in the dock as ‘crocodile tears’.
Judge Dean Kershaw said: “There are hundreds of thousands of people your age, in the same position, who are not going out committing crime.
“You are not working, yet up to six times a day you say you're smoking cannabis.
“Your son was put at huge risk, as well as other passengers in that car.”
Watkins, aged 18, claimed he ‘panicked’ when officers tried to pull him over after suspecting he was driving an uninsured vehicle.
But the Dudley father zoomed off, later leaving his son as he ran away.
Watkins was driving a Nissan Almera in Cradley Heath when police tried to pull him over on March 9.
Prosecutor Mr Martin Liddiard said, in an attempt to get away, Watkins drove on the wrong side of the road, mounted pavements, crashed into another vehicle and drove at 60mph in 30mph zones.
He finally stopped but ran off, leaving his one-year-old son, ex-partner and another passenger in the car, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told on Friday.
Defence barrister Mr Simon Rippon said Watkins, who had been driving despite ‘severely fracturing’ his right arm, was remorseful.
The father, of Gorsty Avenue, Brierley Hill, had been struggling to find work due to his injured arm.
The court heard Watkins also filled up the car at a BP station in Halesowen without paying £25.01 on March 7.
Watkins admitted dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving otherwise in accordance with a licence and making off without payment.
He was handed an eight-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, a three-month curfew, 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a two-year driving ban.
