A 46-year-old former Peel commissioner has been convicted of a charge of causing serious bodily harm by driving without due care or consideration.
Rodger Mark Gimbert, of Derby Road, pleaded guilty in court to the offence and will be sentenced on February 16 after the preparation of a probation report.
The court heard how Gimbert lost control of his Hyundai Tucson on the A5 Shore Road in Rushen and crashed into a Vauxhall Corsa.
The woman driving the Corsa suffered a shattered right knee which required pinning, a fractured left knee, two broken foot bones, significant abdomen bruising and internal bleeding.
Gimbert ran for election in a bid to become Peel MHK in 2006 and 2011 but was unsuccessful.
Prosecutor James Robinson told the court how on September 26 last year, the woman was driving, negotiating bends at no more than 40 miles per hour.
She told police that she saw Gimbert’s 4x4 vehicle come into view, travelling at speed and appearing to be out of control, crossing the centre line.
She said that there was a large impact on the passenger side of her vehicle, triggering the car’s airbags.
Emergency services arrived and in the back of the ambulance Gimbert was reported to have said: ‘I lost control round the bend and couldn’t correct it and ploughed into a woman coming the other way.’
Gimbert was interviewed by police at Peel police station and said that he had been driving for more than 20 years and that he knew Shore Road very well. He said that he was in no particular rush and did not recall travelling fast. He said he could not remember the collision and did not recall the comment he made in the ambulance.
Asked if he had been at fault, he answered that he couldn’t remember.
After caution Gimbert said: ‘I’ve got nothing to add.’
Gimbert’s advocate Deborah Myerscough entered a basis of plea on behalf of her client which said that Gimbert drove without due care and had tried to correct it, causing his car to snake down the road and collide with the woman’s car. There was no evidence of excessive speed.
Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes accepted jurisdiction and bail was granted.