Driver avoids jail after crashing into house

Lincolnshire Police say thousands of pounds’ worth of damage was caused to the home of a couple in their 70s when Kevin Martin, 47, of Heron Way, Balderton, Nottinghamshire, drove his car into the side of their house before fleeing the scene.

Martin has now been handed a one year and eight months in prison sentence, suspended for two years, and disqualified from driving for a year and until he passes a retest. He was found guilty following a trial of dangerous driving and pleaded guilty to failing to provide a breath test at Lincoln Crown Court on May 14 2025. He was given an interim driving ban and sentenced on Friday, January 30, 2026.

In addition to the suspended prison sentence and and a one year driving ban which continues until he passes a retest, he was also handed an electronic monitoring of whereabouts requirement for six months, a Mental Health Treatment Order and Rehabilitation Action Requirement of 25 days. He must pay costs of £787.

Recounting the incident a Lincolnshire Police spokesperson explained that just after midnight on Saturday July 13, 2024, the owner of a house on Gainsborough Road at the junction of Gallamore Lane in Middle Rasen, was woken from his sleep by a loud bang along with the sound of a car trying to reverse.

“Martin, the driver of a black Chrysler, had driven along Gainsborough Road, from Market Rasen and failed to negotiate the T-junction with the A46 and Gallamore Lane; instead, he drove straight across the junction and into the garden and house opposite,” said the spokesperson.

“Before he left the scene he pulled a bottle of wine from the boot of the car and was on his toes without leaving his details or checking on the welfare of any of the occupants of the house.”

Having got dressed the owner walked outside to his garden and found the car had crashed through his garden fence and into the side of his house.

Inside the house, the brickwork had been pushed inwards and had partially collapsed and twisted, leaving electrical wires were exposed, said the force.

Officers carried out a search of the surrounding area and Martin was found in a field by one of the police drone team. “The drone was used to search the area and a heat source was identified. The strong spotlight on the drone showed Martin curled up along a hedge row. He was subsequently arrested,” said police.

Police say the house was declared unsafe in the early hours, meaning the family had to find somewhere else to stay. The cost to make the house safe, rebuild and replace the damage was just under £20,000, say police. It would take five and a half months for building work to be completed before the family could move back into their home. In the meantime, they had to continue living in emergency accommodation, said the police spokesperson.