‘Too lenient’ jail case a one-off says police chief
Thursday 23rd December 2010, 2:30PM GMT.
Police chief Patrick Rice, right, says that procedures have been reviewed in the light of the case against Martins Rancans, left, whose Saab 9-3 Aero crashed into Pearl Brehaut’s Toyota Starlet, breaking her neck. (Montage by John O’Neill)
POLICE have reviewed procedures after a judge asked why a dangerous driving case had not been committed to a higher court.
Judge Philip Robey made the remark when sentencing Martins Rancans, 21, to a year in prison for causing the crash that broke a pensioner’s neck.
Mr Robey said the full facts had not been presented when the case first came to the Magistrate’s Court, which had not been asked to consider whether the Royal Court should hear it.
Guernsey Police chief officer Patrick Rice said that Judge Robey’s comments had been noted.
- Read the full story in the Guernsey Press. See below for subscription details.
- To read Guernsey Press stories in full click here for subscription details. Individual editions are now available online.
Island Life
All about Guernsey
Ambassador of the Year 2011
History & Heritage
Visitor Information
Guernsey's government
Campaigns
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
This is Guernsey
Guernsey Press
Useful Links
This case should have went to the Royal Court and the criminal given a proper long sentence, one year does not send the right message to those who think thay can drive as they please on the roads, time should be called on all bad drivers, the police need to clamp down, wont be long until the next case of serious injury / death is in the papers.
Report abuse
So why don’t they just re-sentence him in the Royal Court? Pull your fingers out eh!
Report abuse
Simple – give the Judge the power to refer the case to the Royal Court as and when he feels it is no longer appropriate for that case to be heard by the Magistrates court.
Report abuse
Police Chief Rice, 1st year and already a big boo boo, not a good start ey?
Report abuse
I believe in certain cases held in the Magistrates Court the Magistrate has the power to hear the prosecution case and then decide that his sentencing powers are too limited so he can remand the prisoner and send his case up to The Royal Court. Maybe dangerous driving is not one of those cases.
Dave: I think you are being unfair – Mr Rice has only been in office for 4 months and the way the Police Court department is run will not be familiar to a UK officer. Now he has seen this case cause so much interest he is likely to speak with the Crown advocates and get a better system in place. From reading the Press it seems that Crown advocates prosecute all the not guilty pleas that were for many years done by police inspectors. Whether the police inspectors are considered not good enough any longer or there are so many Crown advocates looking for something to pass their day is anyone’s guess.
Also, I am not sure that there is not a right of appeal by the prosecution if they consider the sentence too lenient. It is true to say that very few cases of dangerous driving are sent up for Royal Court trial.
Report abuse
its not a one of 2 years for killing my grandson was not enough as far as im concerned and that was in royal court
Report abuse
This is odd. Perhaps poor reporting again? It is not the police who decide on which court holds a trial.
Report abuse
Look, I think that this wouldnt of gone so far as it has if people/public werent sticking their noses in as usual!
1. the lady’s neck WAS NOT broken.
2. Who is to say that he was REALLY doing 70 around that corner? – again his word against the police
3. Who is to say that the lady didnt pull out? i.e its dark surely she would of seen the lights?
It is a 2 way story as always! Dont always blame the speeder !
The poor lad who was very unfortunate just copped it at the wrong time. EVERYONE has sped in their lives! and people CONTINUE to do this….
I agree with Truth Man I think this is all bad reporting and the Island of Guernsey’s little stirrers and utter rubbish remarks and comments !
Get real please until you are in this position think about what is being written!
Report abuse
Real Truth – are you for real?
The police have ways of calculating the speed of cars before crashes. It may be a few mph either way, but a calculation of double the speed limit leaves no doubt that this was reckless driving.
Your speculation does nothing to remove the fact that the evidence available to the police was enough to prosecute him, and so we are entitled to assume that the facts that have been tested in court are the true facts (or at least pretty darn close), rather than your wild excuses.
Everyone speeds a little when safe to do so – often unintentionally. But there is a world of difference between driving down the Rohais at 32 mph and getting in a car with the intention of racing around the island, including taking bends so fast that you need to be on the wrong side of the road around a blind bend. The former is lack of attention to the speedo, but is not necessarily unsafe. The latter is so obviously unsafe that only an imbecile would think that it is responsible behaviour. He was not poor and unfortunate, the lady coming the other way was.
Report abuse
Fair enough Terry I respect your comments and yes I am for real, I wouldnt say that they are excuses however, and not always all the facts are there, but dont you think that it is unfair to always blame straight away the “youngsters” when its speeding offences or accidents when it can be the older/elderly generation to blame just the same.
I just think that it is wrong to publish such a story when similar ones happen and have happened. It is one rule for one and one rule for another. And for all to see when both families have to deal with the consequences.
And you didnt disagree with the fact that this would not of all blown out of proportion if the public didnt get so involved and left the right parties to deal with it ammicably. Not every single accident/speeding offence gets published like this one.
Report abuse
Terry Langlois, the police do have ways of calculating the speed of a car, but it’s not very precise, they may make mistakes all the time, but as there was no speed gun pointing at the car nobody will ever know if they’re telling the truth or not.
For example, if there were no tyre marks on the road, how are they to judge the speed of the car?
Report abuse
Thanks Mr G ! Exactly.
Report abuse
I think the penalty was severe enough for even the biggest hypocrites on the Island.
Report abuse