[Closed] Remember the 'Frontera up Snowdon' story?

A man resembling Williams was also captured on CCTV in the early hours of the first trial day on Wednesday, sticking a note to the window of the court buildings.

It read: "Can't catch me, try to catch me if you can".

Man with mental health issues sent to jail....same old same old...

His fatal error was not killing a few cyclists on the way up. He'd most likely have got off with three points and a derisory fine then.

Yep . No-one hurt. No intention to hurt. Only really putting himself at risk. And no actual ongoing risk to anyone else. Banged-up inside for nearly 2 years.

His actions were stupid, but less stupid than the legal system that sentenced him.

35 qud fine for killing cyclist 2 years for sticking a crap car on snowdon !

I blame Jeremy Clarkson,still a harsh sentence though

Harsh, very harsh IMO.

If he'd done it a Range Rover he'd be on Top Gear, his mistake was doing it in a Frontera,
But my sympathy isn't exactly overflowing tbh..

His lack of remorse and goading of the police didn't help him. 16 months for the driving offences, 22 months in total, out in 11 months. Fine by me.

His lack of remorse and goading of the police didn't help him

That's certainly how it reads. Basically looks lke he was saying stuff you, don't care, do what you want. So they did

Didn't the Frontera end up stuck there again a few days later?

I'm intrigued that the charge was 'dangerous driving' and he was convicted when it seems so hard to get that charge to stick when a cyclist has been killed.

I suspect it's back to the 'could have been me' on the part of the jurors. Running down a cyclist whilst distracted by the radio/mobile phone/"low winter sun" the jury think "there but for the grace of god go I" and acquit but they can't imagine driving their car up Snowdon even though the danger to anyone else would be no worse than someone legally driving on a BOAT.

I've come across enough 4x4s off road over the years on steeper, more technical, trails than the Llanberis path - the Gap in the Brecons (very steep up from the stream), on the steep side of the Garburn pass before any of the improvement works (a frontera, strangely enough, with the driver stoving in the side on the rocks.

Ignore for a moment the damage (which should have been criminal damage) or the trespass (? driving where not allowed to) and this seems a very strange charge to have brought. Far far more danger to the public from some idiot doing 50 in a residential area.

I think his crime was 'being a complete knob' rather than the driving - the police and courts don't take kindly to people winding them up - bit like the mods on here 😉

I think his crime was 'being a complete knob'

But the reason so many drivers get off scot free when they've killed is because the jury wont convict on the dangerous driving definition "the way he/she drives falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver, and it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving in that way would be dangerous"

Taking a Frontera up Snowdon is illegal but I'm not at all sure it's dangerous any more than other off road driving on public paths. The police and CPS can bring whatever charge they want but it's the jury that decide

Doesn't seem that unreasonable considering what he did and how he did it. It's the other sentances that are wildly inappropriate, IMHO.

Dangerous driving my arse. Ridiculous sentence for someone who clearly has 'issues' and for an act which had little or no potential for harming anyone but himself. Sticking teasing notes on the window of the caff doesn't exactly count as an aggravating factor either in my book.

Criminal damage, bill him for the repair and the transport of the Frontera off the mountain.

martinhutch +1

jailing him is stupid

stumpyjon - Member
Doesn't seem that unreasonable considering what he did and how he did it.

driving a car up a hill, by driving it?

The evidence is there, right in front of our eyes, he must have been mental he bought a Frontera FFS!!

Isn't it rare for sentences to run consecutively? He must have upset the system. Perhaps he won't do it again.

And wasn't there damage to the railway track, and a mountain rescue call-out?

No problem with the sentence . Granted he's licked it but as above he was winding the police up and got helicopters and mountain rescue teams out unnecessarily .

I've met him... On top of Snowdon, oddly enough. He'd been camping there for about a week (he said) literally right outside the window to the cafe. He struck me as being a very odd, lonely and rather sad man, possibly with some genuine mental problems.

Bit of a knob though.

35 qud fine for killing cyclist 2 years for sticking a crap car on snowdon !

How are you getting on with you're Frontera TR?

I'm intrigued that the charge was 'dangerous driving' and he was convicted when it seems so hard to get that charge to stick when a cyclist has been killed.

i think the reason maybe down to intent. difficult to prove anyone intended to drive so poorly as to kill a cyclist. difficult for this guy to say he never intended to go up snowdon, especially the second time.

having said that, intent does not need to be proved for dangerous driving. however the CPS and police, and cycling organisations seem to regularly mention it.

Silly sentence. Would much rather have seen his car taken off him along with enough money to pay for all the damage caused and expenses incurred, and maybe a year or 2 driving ban if we are feeling mean. Don't see how sending him to jail benefits anyone...

Pointless sentence, community service and fine for repairing damage caused would have been much more sensible.

Compare to this: [url=

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Taxi driver hits cyclist, keeps driving for 90 metres with rider on bonnet until hitting a tree. Rider died. 3 points, £35 fine. ****ing disgusting!

Bonkers and vicious in my view. Mountain rescue get called out for lots of twerp-like behaviour and far more dangerous driving takes place on the roads. Damage, yes, perhaps, but 22 months!

I suspect they wanted to set an example and dissuade anyone else form trying it. If you chose to break the law, you can't really complain about the sentence. He could have just stayed at home, or just tried it the once, but coming back for a second attempt just showed utter contempt and pretty much guaranteed a stiff sentence.

Is the sentence more to do with the judge being a knob more than the driver being a knob?

Geoff , i quite like it actually but its no green oval , landys will always make me smile, the fronteras just a car it has no soul. It doesnt leak and i dont need a jacket when i drive it as the heating works.

He drove up the railway track apparently. Even a Landy would have trouble with the steep rocky section after the bridge and the couple of rock steps lower down.