Dangerous driver sentenced after hitting elderly pensioner and burning car to cover his tracks

A dangerous driver has been jailed for seriously injuring an elderly pedestrian in a hit-and-run before trying to cover his tracks by setting the car on fire.

Russell Hope had only owned his silver Ford Focus for a day when he collided with the 70-year-old woman in Newcastle in January.

Witnesses told the court how Hope had been seen driving erratically through Blakelaw when he hit the pensioner as she crossed the road on Sunnyway.

The 29-year-old, who was disqualified from driving, then left his victim lying seriously injured in the road.

He drove to a car park in Northumberland before contacting his friend Corey McCabe to ask for his help in covering his tracks.

McCabe, 22, was captured on CCTV filling up a jerrycan with petrol before driving to meet Hope and helping him to set fire to the Ford Focus.

Officers from Northumbria Police's Motor Patrols department discovered the vehicle and later linked it to local car dealer Anthony Smith.

Smith, 45, was visited by police but told officers that he had sold the vehicle to somebody else for £500 and produced a receipt of purchase.

But enquiries later led officers to suspect it was in fact Russell Hope who was behind the wheel of the car and the receipt had been a forgery.

Police arrested all three men on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice an offence with which they were later charged.

Hope, of Harehill Towers, Kenton, admitted perverting the course of justice, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and a string of other driving offences.

And at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday he was jailed for three years and one month. He was also handed a five year driving ban enforced upon his release from prison.

Smith, of Kinross Drive, Newcastle, and McCabe, of Ryal Walk, Newcastle, both admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Smith was jailed for 13 months while McCabe was handed a 12 month suspended sentence.

Following the case, Northumbria Police's Sergeant Steve Armstrong welcomed the sentences and said Hope had shown "a clear disregard for public safety".

He said:

"First and foremost this was a serious collision and the pedestrian involved was very lucky not to have been killed.

"Russell Hope had been seen driving in an erratic manner when he hit his victim as she crossed the junction.

"He stopped his car, got out of the vehicle and even looked at his victim sprawled on the road before he got back behind the wheel and drove away.

"I find it incomprehensible that anyone could leave a person just lying in the road like that and clearly Hope was only thinking about himself.

"In the days and hours that followed he and his accomplices went out of their way to cover up what had happened in a bid to disrupt our criminal investigation.

"Ultimately, it was down to intelligence from the local community that enabled us to identify Hope as the driver and it was from there that his plans began to unravel.

"I am pleased the judge has seen it fit to hand those involved custodial sentences and this should send a strong message to those who abuse our region's roads.

"If you commit an offence then we will identify you and you will be put before the courts."

Hope also admitted driving whilst disqualified, driving with no insurance, failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an injury after an accident