Hartlepool polygraph used in driving ban case
The case
A danger driver was caught behind the wheel again after being banned for trying to outrun police. Kieran Reynard admitted to an officer he did not hold a licence when seen in an Audi A4. The event happened in the Owton Manor area of Hartlepool. The offence occurred less than eight months after he was banned for dangerous driving.
Previous ban
In May 2019, Reynard, then aged 19, had driven away from an officer after he was spotted speeding. He was speeding on Eskdale Road in Hartlepool. Reynard ran a series of red lights and reached speeds of about 85mph.
Reynard narrowly avoided two collisions. Once losing control of his uncle’s van and tilting on to two wheels as he entered Middleton Road. He regained control only to hit the back of another car. Finally Reynard brang the errant driver to a halt on Milbank Road.
Back again
For those offences, Reynard was given a 10-month detention sentence suspended for two years and a one-year driving ban in June 2019. But in the following February, officers spotted Reynard in the Audi which belonged to his girlfriend.
The lights were on and the engine was running, Teesside Crown Court heard. The vehicle was driven by Reynard approximately 20 metres down the road before parking up on the side of the road. Reynard immediately admitted to the officer he did not have a driving licence and checks confirmed he was still disqualified. Tom Bennett, defending, said apart from the offence in February 2020, Reynard had committed no other breaches of his suspended sentence order.
The judgement
He said the car only moved a short distance and there was no associated bad driving involved. It was committed with “a lack of consequential thinking rather than deliberate intent to disregard the terms of the suspended sentence order”, Mr Bennett told the court.
For the latest offences of driving while disqualified and having no insurance, Reynard, 21, of Sedgemoor Road in Eston, was given a further driving ban of 12 months and a 12-month community order with rehabilitation activity requirement days and 60 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay court costs of £530.
Polygraph testing
Reynard could have been deterred from committing the same crimes if he had sat a Hartlepool lie detector test during his first release. The government is now pushing for polygraph testing to be used in cases like Reynard’s. They argue that introducing polygraph testing as more community service terms, would deter a lot of future repeat offenders from committing crimes again. In Reynard’s case, a regular polygraph test would have prevented him from getting back behind the wheel. The polygraph test would have included questions about if Reynard had been back driving or considered driving again, therefore, making Reynard feel accountable for his actions.
If you are worried that someone you know is driving dangerously or doing something illegal, book your lie detector test online today. You can also ring our free helpline on 07572 748364 for advice and bookings,
