Teenager who 'drove like madman' through Scarborough town centre is locked up for eight months

Drew Mattocks, 19, drove on the wrong side of the road and even on a pavement where pedestrians had to hurtle out of the way of the speeding Ford Fiesta, York Crown Court heard.

Mattocks was pursued by police as he drove his friend’s car “like a complete lunatic” along Valley Bridge Road, Pavilion Square, St Nicholas Street and other roads lined with bars and clubs and thronged with night-time revellers, said prosecutor Marte Alnaes.

In one instance, a group of pedestrians just managed to get out of the way of the speeding car, which was driving the wrong way down a one-way street and whose lights had been switched off.

Mattocks, from Northallerton, finally abandoned the car at St Nicholas Cliff and ran off but was arrested in a nearby street.

Ms Alnaes said that Mattocks, his girlfriend and a male friend who owned the vehicle had gone to Scarborough to celebrate a birthday.

His friend had driven them from Northallerton in his Ford Fiesta and they stayed at the Grand Hotel, where they were drinking in their room before the named male friend had a seizure.

“When (Mattock’s friend) came round, he remembers the defendant shouting… ‘You’ve had a seizure’ and (appearing) quite angry,” said Ms Alnaes.

Inexplicably, Mattocks said he had to go back home despite his friend appearing to recover and saying he was okay.

Mattocks then took his friend’s car keys, picked up his bags and “stormed out” of the hotel at about 1am.

He got into his friend’s Fiesta in the hotel car park and drove off as his girlfriend and mate tried to stop him.

Two officers on patrol in a marked police van were told by a member of the public that they had seen a suspected drink-driver in Pavilion Square.

“While making their way to the scene they spotted the Ford Fiesta without lights (on), pulling out of Pavilion Square,” said Ms Alnaes.

The police van pulled in front of the Fiesta and signalled for it to stop but Mattocks sped off, turning right onto Valley Bridge Road.

“The vehicle was on the wrong side of the road (and) turned onto a one-way street in the wrong direction,” added Ms Alnaes.

“The vehicle narrowly missed a group of pedestrians.”

The Fiesta went down another one-way road, St Nicholas Street, in the wrong direction, “narrowly” missing another group of pedestrians and other vehicles.

The Fiesta was then obstructed by a large van and mounted a kerb to get round it.

Mattocks drove along the footpath, “almost hitting pedestrians”.

He then abandoned the Fiesta at St Nicholas Cliff and was arrested shortly afterwards.

When police searched him, they found a small amount of cannabis.

He was charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, aggravated vehicle-taking, possessing a Class B drug and driving without a licence or insurance.

He admitted all the offences except aggravated vehicle-taking, claiming that his friend had given him his car keys.

The prosecution accepted this and ultimately dropped the charge.

Mattocks, a father-to-be, appeared for sentence on the five other offences, which occurred in the early hours of May 15 when the town centre was “very busy”.

His barrister Rhianydd Clement said that Mattocks - who had a previous conviction for aggravated vehicle-taking from 2018 - was “appalled” by his actions.

She said he had a job lined up as a landscape gardener but could lose that if he were jailed.

However, judge Sean Morris told Mattocks he “could have killed someone” and that it had to be an immediate jail sentence to deter others from doing the same.

“You are so lucky that you didn’t mow someone down,” he added.

“You took off from that car park and you drove round Scarborough like a complete lunatic, going down one-way streets (and) hurtling round a corner (in the path of) an oncoming car.

“You could have just piled into a group of three or four people and sent them flying and crippled somebody for life or killed somebody.

“I’m afraid that people who get into a car and drive like madmen need to know there are consequences.”

Mattocks, of Hilton Green, Brompton, was also banned from driving for 16 months.