Labourer who drove VW Polo onto Brands Hatch circuit during race faces jail

 
Guilty: Jack Cottle admitted driving a Volkswagen Polo at high-speed on to the Brands Hatch circuit during a race
Standard Reporter10 October 2014
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

A labourer who drove his car onto a circuit during a high-speed race for a prank was today facing jail.

Jack Cottle, 22, hit speeds of 100mph in a Volkswagen Polo with two passengers on board after gatecrashing an endurance race at the famous track in Kent on June 14.

He claimed he performed the stunt after being dared by friends.

Cottle, dressed in a navy suit, pleaded guilty to "causing a nuisance to the public by driving on to the race track at Brands Hatch whilst an endurance race was in progress".

Prosecutor Keith Yardy told the court: "Shortly before 4pm on June 14 this year, the race had been going for some three hours when the defendant drove a Volkswagen Polo into the pit lane with two passengers.

"He then entered the race track during the race, clearly putting the race drivers at risk and endangering their safety.

"As a result of his actions, the race was brought to a stop. He was interviewed. He said he was dared to do it and was sorry but would do it again."

Judge Martin Joy warned Cottle, of Durgates in Wadhurst, East Sussex, that a "custodial sentence is on the cards" when he next appears in court on the week beginning November 17.

Defence counsel Ailsa Williamson said Cottle was "an immature man" but had the support of his family who attended court with him.

She said: "He was dared by friends. This was a foolish prank that should never have gone this far and he deeply regrets his actions."

Adjourning the case for a pre-sentence report before freeing Cottle on conditional bail, Judge Joy again warned him that a custodial sentence would be considered.

The judge said: "Motor racing is an inherently dangerous sport and quite plainly it was a matter that put persons at risk for their lives. You must understand that the court will be considering a custodial sentence."

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in