Man from Kirton took car without owner's consent

school friend in the middle of the night and go for a drive in a car belonging to his friend’s father, which

had been taken without permission.

David Baxter of Craven Avenue, Kirton, admitted taking the vehicle without the owner’s consent and to

driving it without insurance and without the correct driving licence, when he appeared at Boston

Magistrates Court.

Prosecuting, Nick Todd said Baxter had been a friend for 13 years since school with Kirk Scudder, who

lived in the same road as him.

He said that shortly after midnight on May 1, he received a message on Facebook from Scudder to ask if

he wanted to go for a drive and when he said OK, Scudder came and picked him up in his father’s Nissan

Micra car, which he had taken without permission.

Mr Todd said that after a while, Scudder said he did not want to drive anymore and Baxter, who now

knew his friend had not had permission to take the car, drove the car, even though he was only a

provisional licence holder and had no insurance.

He said the police stopped him in Sleaford Road at about 1am and Scudder admitted he had taken the car

without permission.

Philippa Chatterton, in mitigation, said it was Baxter’s first experience of court and he had not been

involved at all in the taking of the car.

She said he had been picked up and had thought at first that he would be a passenger but at some stage he

did know it was his friend’s father’s car and he foolishly took over the driving when his friend wouldn’t

drive any further.

She said he had now broken contact with him.

The magistrates told Baxter they would not disqualify him from driving as he had been ‘got led a bit

astray’ but fined him £190 and ordered him to pay £115 in costs and charges and put six points on his

licence.

His co-accused, Kirk Scudder, failed to appear and magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest.