Court jailed man for reckless driving

An Ado-Ekiti Magistrates' Court, on Tuesday, sentenced a 22-year-old man, Ayomide Ogedengbe, to two years imprisonment for reckless driving and causing one Ojo Ige grievous injury.

The convict, whose address was not provided, was arraigned on a two-count charge of reckless driving and driving on the public road without driver's licence.

Delivering his judgment, the Magistrate, Mr Olatomiwa Daramola said, "I hold that from the totality of the evidence before the court, the prosecution has established the charge against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.

"The issue for determination in this case is hereby resolved in favour of the prosecution as against the defendant.

"I find the defendant guilty as charged and convict him accordingly on counts one and two respectively.

"The defendant is hereby sentenced to two years imprisonment on count one and six months' imprisonment on count two without an option of fine.

"The terms of the imprisonment are to run concurrently''.

At the trial, the police prosecutor, Insp Elijah Adejare, had told the court that the convict committed the offences on May 14, 2021 at 2:30 p.m., at Oshodi Community, off Afao Road, in Ado-Ekiti.

Adejare said the convict drove recklessly and caused grievous injury to one Ojo Ige.

According to him, the offences contravened Section 28 of the road traffic law, cap 548 laws of Ekiti state of Nigeria, 2012 and Section 7(1), punishable under section 45 of the road traffic Act.

A prosecution witness, who testified before the court, said that the convict drove recklessly on the fateful day.

According to him, Ogedengbe left his lane and hit Ojo Ige badly and thereby caused him to sustained serious injury on the head and on his body.

The witness said that Ige was rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital in Ado-Ekiti and later referred to Afe Babalola Multisystem Hospital where he has been in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.

To further prove his case, the prosecutor called five witnesses and tendered photographs of the accident scene and the victim at the hospital, V.I.O Inspection report, sketch map of the accident scene, statements of the witnesses among others as exhibits.

The convict, who was represented by his counsel, Mr Olanrewaju Oluwasola, pleaded for the court to temper justice with mercy.

During the trial the convict called one witness.