By Tom Mack
In spite of several witnesses and CCTV footage, Matthew Sturgess fled the scene and denied being the driver
In a dangerous accident, a driver sped around a corner, collided with a motorist on the other side, causing lifelong injuries. Sturgess, a former drug dealer, fled the scene after the crash, while Christopher Graham, 54, was trapped in the crumpled vehicle and would be bedridden for the next eight months.
At 9am on November 5, 2020, Sturgess left his flat in Wicklow Drive, Rowlatts Hill, Leicester, and got into a Honda Civic that he did not have a license or insurance to drive. After driving off at high speed, he skidded into oncoming traffic after losing control on a bend.
He crashed head-on into Mr Graham’s Nissan Micra, which was sandwiched between Sturgess’ Honda and a parked car. Upon impact, Mr Graham’s Nissan engine pushed back into him, breaking both legs, breaking one rib, and causing him to suffer long, deep lacerations up both legs and injuries from flying glass and debris.
In the meantime, Sturgess, now 32, who escaped serious injury, got out of the Honda and walked away, throwing his coat in a nearby backyard to conceal his identity. Firefighters had to cut the Nissan into five pieces to free Mr Graham.
After returning home, he picked up his bike, cycled back to the accident site, and rummaged through the car’s passenger side. Sturgess denied being the driver and causing the crash when a resident on his street accused him. He said he was a friend of someone who was in the passenger seat, fetching their belongings.
The witness, certain Sturgess had been the driver, restrained him at the scene until Leicestershire Police arrived. Despite the fact that three witnesses, including Mr Graham, identified Sturgess as the driver of the Honda and CCTV evidence of his presence at the scene, Sturgess repeated the lies about not being in the Civic when the crash occurred.
Sturgess, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2000, pleaded not guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving after he was charged and the case went to court. His lawyers argued he was mentally unfit to enter a plea.
A trial was due to take place in October this year but in May he changed his plea to guilty. Sturgess appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday for sentencing and the court heard he had 34 previous offences on his record including dealing class A drugs, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance – the court also heard he had never passed his driving test.
Sturgess’ lawyer, Pree Brada, said her client was “very, very sorry” and that what he did was out of character. She suggested a suspended sentence with a curfew for him.
As Recorder David Richards sentenced Sturgess, he said: “Your conduct caused an enormous amount of harm, and the harm will last a lifetime for Mr Graham. Ms Brada tells me you’re very sorry – you may now be.”
After his release from prison in nine months, Sturgess was disqualified for three years.
As he spoke outside court, Mr Graham, 58, who now walks with a crutch, said he had been returning home from a nine-hour warehouse shift when the collision occurred. He said he saw the car out of control but could do nothing to avoid it.
The judge did his best and I thank him for that. This has changed my entire life – my legs are held together by screws.”
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