Driver banned from roads after being found with ELEVEN people in car

Driver, 52, is banned from the roads after being found with ELEVEN people in his Ford Focus – including three sat in footwells

• Kenneth Samuels car was spotted pulling into Colwyn Bay railway station
• Samuels and others loaded bags into the car and headed to nearby Rhos-on-Sea
• Police stopped the vehicle and found four adults and seven children inside
• Samuels, 52, of Gwenfro, Wrexham, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving

A ‘foolish’ motorist who had ten passengers in a Ford Focus, including three sat in the footwells, has been banned from driving for 15 months.

Magistrates at Llandudno, North Wales, heard when police stopped Kenneth Samuels’s car they found four adults and seven children, three of whom were sitting in the footwells of the vehicle.

Court chairman David Davies told him: ‘How you could put young children – as young as three – at such risk beggars belief.’

Prosecutor James Neary said that at 9.25pm on August 4 CCTV operators saw the Ford pulling into the car park at Colwyn Bay railway station and Samuels, 52, and others loaded bags and camping equipment into the boot and on to an improvised roof rack.

CCTV operators saw the Ford Focus pulling into the car park at Colwyn Bay station and saw Samuels and others load bags and camping equipment into the boot

The seven children and three adults then got in and they headed towards nearby Rhos-on-Sea, where another man was picked up.

A police car forced the Ford to stop and one passenger ran away, with the officers in pursuit.

Mr Neary said the defendant then drove off before being stopped again.

All the adults were wearing seatbelts, one infant was in a child’s seat, three aged about three years were in the front and rear footwells and the other three aged 10-12 were squeezed between the adults.

‘Perhaps other road users were not put in danger but the children were,’ he said. 

‘What was also remarkable was that he chose not to give the children the seatbelts.’

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Samuels, 52, from Wrexham, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving although his solicitor David Jones there had been no criticism of his driving.

He also denied that anyone had run away from his car.

He told the court that he had been at home at Wrexham when he received a call from his ex-partner asking him to give them a lift to a Conwy Valley campsite as they had been evicted from one site and had no money.

Samuels borrowed his brother’s car but had no idea how many people were waiting for him.

‘Initially it was a Good Samaritan act,’ said Mr Jones. Samuels had suggested that they take a taxi but they had no money.

‘He should have said ‘no’ but didn’t because there were children and they were screaming and hungry,’ said the solicitor. 

‘It was a foolish decision and he is genuinely remorseful.’

Banning Samuels from driving for 15 months, the chairman said they had seriously considered a jail term because of the ‘ horrific driving’ involved.

The court imposed a 6pm – 6am curfew for four months and ordered Samuels to pay costs of £85 and an £85 surcharge. 

He must also take an extended test before being allowed to drive again.

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