Man covered up drunken son's car crash in Richborough
by Paul Hooper
A steel company executive who tried to
cover up his drunken son's car crash by posing as the driver has
been sent to prison today.
And Martin Ord's son, who was at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta that
overturned leaving a friend paralysed for life, was also
jailed.
The father-of-two lied to police for six days to hide the fact
the driver had been his son David, 23 who had been almost three
times the drink-drive limit.
The court heard the 50-year-old only decided to tell the police
the truth after talking to a priest.
Judge Adele Williams jailed 50-year-old Martin Ord for six
months and his son for a total of 20 months at Canterbury Crown
Court.
She told Martin Ord: "You must have realised that he had been
unfit to drive through alcohol.
"You allowed him to leave the scene and you told police that you
were the driver and you didn't tell them the truth for six
days.
"This was a grossly misguided sense of loyalty. You put your
son's interest above everybody else's interest."
Judge Williams, pictured below, told David Ord: "Ben Barnes
suffered devastating injuries - his back broken in two places,
broken ribs and a collapsed lung. He will have to use a wheelchair
for the rest of his life.
"Your catastrophic irresponsibility has curtailed the fully
active life of another human being and all the consequences that
has for him, both physical and psychological."
The court heard forensic experts discovered his DNA when
examining the airbag of the wrecked Ford Fiesta, which had crashed
on the A256 at Richborough.
But by then the police had been given the wrong surname of
Ben - resulting in an unrelated family being told their son
had been injured in the crash.
The Ords, of Sandwich Road, Cliffsend, Ramsgate, sat next to
each other in the dock as family members gasped at the
sentences.
James Bilsland, prosecuting, told how David was with two friends
driving south along the road in the early hours of the morning when
he lost control, overturning the car.
The welder escaped with minor injuries - but one passenger
was thrown out of the window and a second received suffered
horrific injuries.
Benjamin Barnes was rushed to the QEQM hospital and later
transferred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire with
serious spinal injuries.
Mr Bilsland said doctors diagnosed Benjamin, who is in his early
20s, as being paralysed "for the rest of his life".
The court heard David telephoned his father from the scene of
the 3.40 am accident in May last year.
Mr Bilsland said: "David was the driver, a passenger called
Daniel Stringer was thrown out of the front window and Mr Barnes,
who was in the rear seat, was also injured in the crash."
He said the car had been travelling at between 49 to 62mph at
the time of the accident.
"David then telephoned his father after the collision who then
drove from his home and reached the scene before the emergency
services.
"It became very clear that Ben was quite severely injured and he
attended to him," he added.
Meanwhile, David jumped into his father's car - and fled
the scene, the court was told.
"Your catastrophic irresponsibility has curtailed the fully active life of another human being and all the consequences that has for him, both physical and psychological…” – Judge Adele Williams
When police arrived, Martin Ord claimed he had been at the wheel
of the car and carried on that lie at the hospital, Mr Bilsland
said.
Ben received chest injuries, a collapsed lung and a dislocation
of the ninth and tenth vertebrae and was transferred to the
specialist hospital.
Mr Bilsland said Martin Ord was released at the scene and went
home and "very quickly" went to the QEQM Hospital enquiring after
Mr Barnes.
"When he was there he spoke to the police who by then suspected
the son had been driving but he continued his assertions that he
was the driver."
Later the same day, David Ord was breathalised and its reading
was within the legal drink-drive limit.
But Mr Bilsland said a back calculation revealed he was between
two-and-a half to three times over the limit.
It was only on May 27 that Martin Ord eventually admitted in
interview he had lied to police.
Philip Rowley, defending David Ord, who admitted driving while
unfit through drink and leaving the scene of an accident, said: "He
is wholly remorseful and deeply sorry for what happened. This will
remain with him for the rest of his life."
Nicholas Jinks, defending Martin Ord, who admitted perverting
the course of justice, said he had now lost the possibility of
becoming a director of the Canterbury-based Parkersteel, where he
has worked for six years.
David Ord was also banned from driving for three years and
ordered to re-sit an extended test.
19/03/12
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