Man with no driving licence who flipped vehicle into a field in Holt appears in court

A man with no driving licence who crashed a car whilst driving through Holt during rush hour has appeared in court.

William Orchard, 36, of Berryfield Road, Bradford-on-Avon, was thrown from the Ford Fiesta he was driving after flipping the vehicle at 6pm on November 17 last year.

When officers arrived on scene, the vehicle was found on its roof in a field and Orchard was found lying on his back in undergrowth having been ejected from the driver’s seat as it rolled.

He was taken to the Royal United Hospital by ambulance and whilst there Orchard refused to provide an evidential blood sample.

He appeared at Salisbury Magistrates Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to driving without a licence, without insurance and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Roads Policing Unit A/Insp Will Ayres said: “This case just illustrates the dangers of getting behind the wheel of a car without a licence. Not only is it completely senseless, it shows complete disregard for other road users or pedestrians.

“When officers attended this collision, Orchard said he couldn’t remember the circumstances of the collision and it’s believed he was thrown from the vehicle as it flipped from the road into a field. He was extremely lucky not to have sustained serious injuries, or caused injury or worse to other road users especially as this incident happened during a busy time of day.”

Orchard was given a 12 month driving disqualification, an 18 month community order with a requirement to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay CPS costs of £85 and a surcharge of £114.