Driver banned from road after suffering horrendous injuries in crash

Wigan magistrates heard Sean Cronin endured a lengthy hospital stay after being seriously hurt when he fell from an off-road motorbike last December.

He suffered a catalogue of injuries including a bleed on the brain, collapsed lung, multiple broken bones and damage to his femur, sternum and ribs.

Prosecuting, Verity Quaite said Cronin, of Kensington Drive, Leigh, had been riding a Kawasaki on Coronation Drive in wet conditions when he saw a Nissan Qashqai pulling out.

The car was able to stop but Cronin, 23, braking sharply, lost control of the bike and collided with the Qashqai.

It was subsequently discovered that Cronin had been riding while he was already banned from the road and was not insured to get on the bike, leading to his appearance in court.

Defending, Asad Khan described his client’s actions as a moment of stupidity which he had paid a heavy price for, describing the life-changing effect the smash and the extent of the injuries had had.

He added: “The accident has flipped his life upside down. He needs round-the-clock care and doesn’t anticipate he will be on a bike or behind the wheel of a car in the near future.

“Until last April he was a man of good character, in full-time employment and things were going right in his life. He has suffered a great deal. I cannot do justice to what he has told me.”

Sentencing Cronin, the bench lectured him sternly, saying they understood the difficulties he was in but it was a reckless act that could have caused harm to other people.

They banned Cronin from the road for 12 months, running alongside his existing disqualification, ordered he observe a four-month night curfew and pay £170 in costs and a surcharge.