Man Who Ran Over 16-Year-Old Camper Is Sentenced To Four Years In Jail

Man Who Ran Over 16-Year-Old Camper Is Sentenced To Four Years In Jail

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A 16-year-old boy was run over by a drunken van driver following a row in a field in North Yorkshire.

The boy was left with a broken arm and collar bone after Benjamin Allerton, 25, - who had befriended the group of young people camping out by the River Ouse in Selby - fell out with the group and drove at them.

After a fight, he got behind the wheel of his van and gave the group a five-second countdown to leave the tent before driving over it towards the teenagers.

Appearing in at York Crown Court yesterday, Allerton heard prosecutor Andrew Dallas outline the case against him, saying he had asked the group for a cigarette, started talking with them, and then began 'showing off' by chopping wood for them.

Having crawled into one of the two tents occupied by the group, it was alleged that Allerton 'put his arm around the waist of a young girl' which triggered a fight with an 18-year-old male.

After twice being knocked down by the teen, Allerton drove his van at the tents but missed, instead smashing his vehicle into the river bank. He was then heard to shout: "You've got five seconds to get off my field!" before beginning a countdown and driving at them again.

Allerton admitted grievous bodily harm with intent as well as attempted grievous bodily harm on a girl of 13, who was 'clipped' by his vehicle. He was sentenced to four years in prison and was banned from driving for 18 months.

Sentencing him, Judge Michael Mettyear said: "You drove round deliberately seeking out those you could catch in an open field and you struck two people.
"It was good luck, not judgment, that the injuries were not worse."
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