Porsche driver from York shows 'no remorse' for nearly killing family in crash

Police were called following the crash near Castle Howard (Image: Submitted)

A Porsche driver has shown "not an ounce of remorse" for nearly killing a family on their way to a picnic in a high-speed crash, a court heard.

The family had believed they were about to die when they saw Benjamin Swift’s Porsche hurtling airborne and spinning towards their Land Rover Defender on their side of the southern approach road to Castle Howard on July 7, 2024, Recorder Geraldine Kelly KC told York Crown Court.

“It is an absolute miracle that nobody was killed,” the judge told Swift.

“I am satisfied you decided you were going to put your foot down on that long straight road, regardless of the fact that the road was narrow and undulating in part.”

Swift, now 22, from Haxby, York, had shown “not an ounce of remorse” for causing the crash that gave Land Rover Defender driver Philip Thompson months of pain with a broken sternum, injured one of his passengers, and has left both him and his partner with lasting psychological effects, the judge said.

He had tried to avoid responsibility by wrongly blaming the high-speed collision on Mr Thompson, whose driving had been “exemplary” and who had done his best to prevent the crash happening, said the judge

And he had made the Land Rover driver and his passengers relive what they had suffered by standing trial when the evidence was "overwhelming" against him, said the judge.

“It hasn’t been driven home to you, even now, how bad your driving was that day,” the judge told Swift, whom she called “arrogant”.

Swift had been doing 70mph to 80mph on the 60mph road and had disregarded a warning hoot from another driver before pulling out to overtake when he shouldn’t have done so and losing control of his Porsche.

In a personal statement, Mr Thompson said Swift’s refusal to accept responsibility had meant he and his family had been unable to move on with their lives, two years after the crash, and Swift’s insurance company had yet to pay out.

“I feel he has no regrets, no remorse,” he said. “I don’t understand why he doesn’t admit to that. Nobody is infallible, we all make mistakes.”

The judge banned Swift from driving for two years after which he must take an extended driving test before driving again without supervision.

She also gave him a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years on condition he does 25 days’ rehabilitative activities and 200 hours’ unpaid work.

He must pay the prosecution’s £4,380 costs and £1,600 compensation to Mr Thompson, who told the court that was the cost of replacing the glasses he lost in the crash.

Swift, of Holly Tree Lane, Haxby, had denied a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving but was convicted by a York jury in June.

York Crown Court heard both cars were written off.

Defence solicitor advocate Andrew Thompson said Swift had nearly completed a four-year apprenticeship and would lose his job if he were sent to jail. He handed in references on Swift’s behalf.

At the time of the crash, he had been 19 and immature. A probation officer had assessed the crash as being caused by Swift’s impulsiveness and immaturity.

The judge said Swift, in another display of “arrogance,” had refused to discuss his driving with the probation officer who had to prepare a report on him for the court.