Vincent Albert Knight: Albany man who crashed head-on into car in Spencer Park avoids immediate jail time

An Albany man who drove a motorcycle without the correct licence while on false licence plates and with cannabis in his system when he and his 12-year-old passenger crashed head-on into a car in Spencer Park has avoided an immediate prison term. Vincent Albert Knight was convicted on January 3 of the charges of no authority to drive and driving a vehicle with false plates over the September 16 crash. At the time, he also pleaded not guilty to charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm in a manner that was dangerous to the public and driving with a prescribed illicit drug in oral fluid or blood. The charges were set to go to trial in Albany District Court, but the 33-year-old instead changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced on all charges in Albany Magistrates Court last Friday. Police prosecutor Sgt Warrick Walker told the court at 4pm on September 16 Knight was driving a motorcycle on Hardie Road with a 12-year-old boy riding as his pillion passenger. As Knight drove through a bend near the road’s intersection with Maley Place, he crossed on to the wrong side of the road to overtake the vehicle in front of him, with his motorcycle and a Toyota Kluger colliding head-on. Knight’s passenger was thrown over the car, landing on the ground behind it, and Knight hit the car’s windscreen and fell to the ground. His passenger suffered serious injuries to his neck and spine, and the car’s driver suffered minor injuries. Sgt Walker said following the crash, police found Knight was driving the motorcycle despite only possessing a C-class driver’s licence and a motorcycle learner’s permit, the motorcycle had false licence plates and Knight had cannabis in his system. Defence lawyer Lucy Bourne said Knight had not used drugs in the “past couple of months”, and he had suffered a fracture in his spine, nose and thumb, as well as chipping four teeth in the accident. Magistrate Dianne Scaddan said Knight had been convicted of driving with an illicit drug in his oral fluid last April. She said there was “no shying away” from the fact that the crash was “serious”. Ms Scaddan referenced a victim impact statement written by Knight’s 12-year-old passenger, in which it was clear the crash had a “profound effect” on his life. Knight was sentenced to a six-month and one-day prison term, conditionally suspended for 12 months. Ms Scaddan noted that she had discounted the sentence by 15 per cent as Knight had pleaded guilty to the charges of no authority to drive and driving a vehicle with false plates at an early opportunity, and had “spared” the young victim of having to give evidence during a trial. Knight had his driver’s licence suspended for 12 months, and was fined a total of $1950.