Billy Mooney sentenced after serious Clacton collision

Billy Mooney, 20, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court to three years and eight months in a young offenders institution following dangerous driving which led to a two-vehicle collision last year.

Around 4.15pm on October 29 2022, Mooney was the driver of a stolen BMW 3 Series in Oxford Road, Clacton.

The individual overtook two cars at a speed which resulted in the vehicle colliding with another car travelling in the opposite side of the road.

Driver - Billy's dangerous driving in Clacton led to an elderly man being seriously injured (Image: Essex Police)

The BMW collided head-on with a silver Citroen C3 vehicle resulting in the vehicle being significantly damaged and propelled into a front garden of a property nearby.

Once the BMW came to a stop, Mooney was seen fleeing from the area.

The 90-year-old man in the Citroen was trapped inside the car and emergency services tended to the incident.

The unnamed man spent several weeks in hospital and was diagnosed with two fractured vertebrates in his neck, a fracture to his spinal column and a bleed on the brain, thankfully, he has recovered from the injuries.

As part of the Essex Police investigation into the incident, specialist officers found that the BMW displayed a false registration plate at the time and had been stolen from Ilford, London, on October 28.

The force was also able to obtain the 20-year-old’s DNA on the BMW’s airbag.

Images - CCTV footage shows the moments that lead to the collision (Image: Essex Police)

Moments from disaster - This image shows Billy driving on the wrong side of the road heading towards the silver Citroen C3 vehicle (Image: Essex Police)

He was then arrested and charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, taking without consent, driving without insurance, failing to report a collision and failing to stop after a collision.

Mooney, of Manor Court, Enfield, admitted to the offences during today’s proceedings.

PC Danny Wheeler investigated the incident and has commented on Billy’s actions.

He said: “Mooney’s actions were incredibly dangerous and directly led to the significant injuries to a man who was aged 90 at the time.

“He faced a substantial period in hospital for treatment to a number of serious injuries.

Terrible - This image shows the impact after the collision where only the BMW can now be seen on the road (Image: Essex Police)

“We were able to identify Mooney as a result of forensic examination of the car and he was subsequently arrested and charged.

“I am not exaggerating when I say this could quite easily have become an investigation into a road death.

“Mooney had no regard for other road users when he was racing through the residential streets on Clacton.

“Thankfully, today he has been sentenced to an appropriate time in prison.”