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Hit and run driver kills pensioner while on bail for cyclist incident

It was the second time he was caught driving dangerously in Brighton

A hit and run driver has been told he will be jailed for a long time after pleading guilty to killing an elderly man, while on bail for almost driving into a cyclist.

Gavin Dawes, who was already on bail for the previous dangerous driving offence, was being chased by police when he hit 78-year-old Jonos Sasvari in Brighton in January.

He pleaded guilty at Hove Crown Court to causing death by dangerous driving.

Police saw him driving dangerously in Brighton in a Vauxhall Astra at around 10pm on January 10.

They gave chase but he failed to stop, instead speeding along Lewes Road, Coombe Road, Bear Road, Old Steine and Madeira Drive.

He hit the pensioner in the centre of the town.

In February Dawes was found guilty of speeding away from police and hitting speeds of up to 60mph at around 8pm on September 19 last year in Eastern Road.

Dawes, of Phoenix Rise, Brighton, narrowly missed a cyclist in the previous incident.

According to the Brighton Argus, Daniel Frier, defending, asked Judge Jeremy Gold for permission to have a psychiatric report prepared before sentencing.

Mr Frier said: “In his young life he experienced violent and deeply traumatic events including witnessing a friend being stabbed to death, his uncle throwing himself in front of a train and another friend murdered in Moulsecoomb.

“This will not in any way excuse his behaviour or driving on that night. It may go some way to explain why he acted the way he did.”

He will be sentenced in June and remains in custody.

 

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7 comments

Avatar
Bob Wheeler CX | 7 years ago
3 likes

think i'm  about done loading this site now

just endless adverts for 300 quid shoes and the depressing barrage of britain's mad max style road carnage

Avatar
Stumps | 7 years ago
5 likes

He's shite, mixes with shite and ultimately won't give a toss about what anyone thinks about him.
It's pathetic his barrister has come up with an excuse for him being nothing more than scum.

Avatar
Russell Orgazoid | 7 years ago
7 likes

"I didn't see him"

Avatar
MikeOnABike | 7 years ago
8 likes

"Mr Frier said: “In his young life he experienced violent and deeply traumatic events including witnessing a friend being stabbed to death, his uncle throwing himself in front of a train and another friend murdered in Moulsecoomb."

Lots of people have had pain and suffering in their lives. It doesn't give them the right to harm other people. Just because they, themselves, have a death wish. 

Avatar
Grahamd | 7 years ago
6 likes

Once again the judicial system has failed, by allowing bail instead of locking up offenders. The initial judge involved should be asked to explain his rationale to the family involved. 

Avatar
ktache | 7 years ago
7 likes

Let us all hope that he is not given his driving licence back for some quite considerable time, so that we all will be slightly more protected from his psychiatric problems, at least where a motorised vehicle is concerned anyway.  

I do hope that was what his defence was asking for.

Avatar
jh27 replied to ktache | 7 years ago
5 likes
ktache wrote:

Let us all hope that he is not given his driving licence back for some quite considerable time

He sounds like a law abiding chap, I'm sure the thought of driving without a licence would never cross his mind.

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