A man has swerved a stint in prison after pleading guilty to causing a head-on crash in Reading, which left another driver with seven broken ribs. 

 Appearing in Reading Crown Court on Thursday, August 22, Paul Donnelly, a 35-year-old from Walton on Thames, received a prison sentence of 21 months that has been suspended for 18 months. 

He was also banned from driving for five years, required to complete 240 hours of unpaid community work, and will be under an electronically monitored curfew for five months. 

Donnelly had previously pleaded guilty to causing injury by dangerous driving, relating to a head-on collision that took place in London Road at 4pm on October 19, 2022. 

During the sentencing hearing, prosecuting barrister Leah Tai told the court that witnesses saw a white van cross over the white markings in the road before crashing into a vehicle driven by Mr Roy Clues. 

Witnesses saw a a man leave the van and climb over a fence following the incident. 

Donnelly - who told officers that he had not been in the van at the time of the crash - was later identified from DNA on the airbag. He was found to be driving without insurance and with an expired provisional driving licence. 

Mr Clues suffered seven broken ribs and an injury to his knee, which left him in hospital for 10 days. It took a further three months to recover from the broken ribs - and his knee has not totally healed, the court heard.

In delivering the sentence, Judge Norton addressed Donnelly and said: "You carried out a dangerous manoeuvre at what would appear to be speed. 

"You left the scene - you ran away, and you subsequently lied to the probation officer when you said someone else was in the van. 

"You shouldn't have been in the car at all."

But the judge acknowledged that Donnelly has responsibilities as a father of seven young children - and he is expecting another child. 

She said: "One of your family members has said you are in the last chance salon. You are."

After detailing the order for community work she said: "If you're under a great deal of pressure - so be it. 

"(The curfew) will cover Christmas and New Year - I have done this deliberately. That means no Christmas parties. That's the punishment I'm afraid."

Donnelly is required to be at an address in Walton-On-Thames from 7pm to 6am for five months. 

Following the sentencing, Donnelly addressed the court to say that he was 'sorry' for the injuries he had caused. 

The 35-year-old said: "I would like to apologise. I am remorseful."