Police have been accused of ‘going after the good guy’ after a motorist who pursued another driver who had collided with him ended up in court himself.
Gavin Webb willingly handed police dashcam footage of him following the driver who had just hit his car and sped off without stopping.
But instead officers used the video against the 48-year-old who was charged and prosecuted while the other motorist got off scot-free.
Webb’s Audi A5 was hit by the impatient Vauxhall driver when he allegedly mounted the kerb and cut him up in Poole, Dorset, on February 4 this year.
The driver did not stop after the collision so Webb decided to follow him.
He called 999, reported what had happened and told the operator he was following the culprit before delivering an ‘informed commentary’ of the other driver’s overtaking manoeuvres and alleged speeding in a residential area.
At one point he can be heard telling the call handler ‘he’s going to have a head on crash’.
The dashcam footage shows the Vauxhall driver turn his car around after getting blocked in, prompting Webb to get out and tell him the police were on their way.
Gavin Webb gave an ‘informed commentary’ to a police call handler while following the man who collided with his Audi
The video shows the driver then ‘ramming’ Webb – still on foot -out of the way and driving off again.
Webb, a sales accounts manager for a company that sells historic coins, followed him again before finding the Vauxhall in a dead end road.
A court heard Webb immediately gave his dashcam footage to two police officers who told him ‘good job’.
But when the footage was later reviewed a decision was made to charge the defendant with dangerous driving.
The other driver was later identified and attended a voluntary police interview over the matter but was not charged.
Webb, a father-of-three, faced the prospect of jail had he not admitted the charge. He was banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to carry out community service.
His lawyer told the court Webb’s intentions were ‘pure’ and the ‘system’ has gone ‘after the good guy’.
James Moore said: ‘This is an incredibly unique offence.
The defendant, seen here walking in to court, was prosecuted after police reviewed the dash cam footage he had willingly handed over
‘The chap who made off is the instigator and protagonist of this whole incident.
‘He illegally and dangerously cuts up Mr Webb, who is moving forward and there’s a collision. He was not responsible for that accident.
‘He rings 999 and says ‘please come as quick as you can.’ Not once does the controller say desist, don’t follow him. He is actively encouraged to pursue.
‘He was driving in a manner which is in control and gives a very informed commentary.
‘He has not collided with any vehicles, he has not injured any persons.’
Mr Moore said the other driver’s insurance had paid out for the damaged caused in the initial collision.
He added: ‘The prosecution present this as he was angered, lost the plot and pursued this chap. No, Mr Webb is concerned the driver of that vehicle is a risk to other members of the public and might be in a stolen vehicle.
‘If the guy who had been driving that car had been found with a load of weapons or drugs, (Webb) wouldn’t be here today, he would be applauded for apprehending him.
‘This is well-intentioned. Ten years ago he would not be here, but we live in a world now where everyone is held to the book regardless.’
He said a prison sentence would be appropriate ‘for people who aren’t insured, under the influence or evading the police – this is the flipside’
Mr Moore told Poole Magistrates’ Court his client was a ‘member of the public who has slightly crossed the line’ while thinking he was doing the right thing.
He added: ‘He’s a decent, law-abiding guy. Sometimes the system should use a bit of discretion and not go after the good guy.’
But Nicola Rees, prosecuting, said the dashcam video showed Webb dangerous driving at high speeds through residential roads.
She said: ‘He captured the initial incident on dashcam, he could’ve reported it. Instead he went on a high speed chase through busy streets and residential roads, dangerous driving himself.
‘It was a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road. He sped significantly in excess of the limit.’
Michael Harris, chair of the bench, described it as a ‘moment of complete stupidity’.
Sentencing on Monday, he said Webb was lucky it wasn’t more serious, as a pedestrian could have stepped out between two cars, or a car could have pulled out from a side road.
Mr Harris said: ‘We are going to deal with this as leniently as we can. But this offence is so serious we could have imposed a custodial sentence.
‘We have gone outside the guidelines based on what we have heard about you and our understanding of what happened.’
Mr Harris said if Webb had not admitted the offence and been found guilty after a trial he would have been facing custody.
The maximum sentence for dangerous driving is two years’ imprisonment.
Mr Harris told Webb: ‘I want you to understand how close this is to the edge. This was a strange one. I feel confident we won’t see you again.’
Webb, of Poole, was given a 12-month community order with a requirement to carry out 30 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for 12 months.
He was also ordered to pay £114 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.
A spokesman for Dorset Police confirmed the other driver had attended for a voluntary police interview but ‘no further action’ was brought against him.
He added: ‘Following extensive enquiries by officers, including reviewing available dashcam footage of the incident, as well as obtaining accounts from both parties at interview, no evidence was found to warrant prosecution of the second driver involved in the incident.’
