A shocking video shows the moment a suicidal dangerous driver crashed into a theatre on purpose during rush hour.
Richard Kelly drove his Ford Puma into Darlington Hippodrome at 3.40pm on Thursday, March 7.
The 47-year-old drove at high speed down the approaching road and straight through a T-junction before crashing through the metal barriers outside the theatre and into the front of the building.
The incident was captured on CCTV and showed his car speeding across the road at high speed, narrowly missing other vehicles and pedestrians as it careered into the building.
Kelly had not been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and had to be helped out of the car by emergency services. He suffered broken ribs and was taken to hospital.
He smelled strongly of alcohol and told officers he’d had a drink. Kelly was later arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and charged with the offence.
Two days before the incident, Kelly was given a suspended sentence after being caught with a knife in his car in an attempt to take his own life.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the ex-member of the armed forces had been struggling with his mental health while suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Elisha Marsay, prosecuting, said when police searched Kelly’s car following the crash they discovered a number of empty beer cans.
Nigel Soppitt, mitigating, said his client had suffered from significant mental health problems and had made a number of attempts to take his own life.
He added: “This is a man who has tried to end his life on a number of occasions but it will provide no comfort for other drivers on that particular day. This was to be his swansong. He has stopped behaving that way during his remand in custody.”
Kelly, of Bourne Court in Darlington, admitted the charge, claiming he deliberately drove at the building after pressing the accelerator instead of the brake.
Today (May 1), Kelly was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He was also banned from driving for 16 months.
Judge Richard Bennett said that Kelly was lucky that his driving had not resulted in a “catastrophic” accident as he jailed him for 12 months.
He said: “It is highly fortunate, it was only pure chance that a pedestrian was not walking past at that particular time. The impact could have been catastrophic. If anyone had been in your path, I have no doubt that they would have been killed.
“I am hopeful given what I have read about you that mental health treatment which you so clearly need can begin in the prison environment.
Detective Inspector David Bailey, of Durham Constabulary, said: “Kelly’s behaviour that day was utterly reckless – he drove at excessive speeds and straight across a busy junction without any thought for other road users or pedestrians.
“It is only by sheer luck that nobody else was injured as a result of his actions. If he had chosen to commit this offence only moments before, several people would have been seriously injured or even killed as a result of his actions.
“I am pleased he has admitted his guilt and can reflect on the consequences of his careless behaviour while he is behind bars.”
