Trio of dangerous drivers convicted on own dash cam evidence

On Friday 9 February 2024, three people were convicted following an investigation by GMP Roads Policing Unit.

April Farnworth (02/04/1996) of Lostock Road, Trafford pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and exceeding the speed limit. She has been disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £245, and issued a community order to carry out 100 unpaid hours work.

Oliver Rothwell (30/01/1995) of Hartford Road, Trafford, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. He has been disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £245, and issued a community order to carry out 100 unpaid hours work.

Nabil Adil (26/06/1996) of Moor Hill, Rochdale pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. He has been disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £695, and issued a community order to carry out 200 unpaid hours work.

On Saturday 30 May 2020, the three defendants met up at a car park in Manchester city centre before setting off to Bolton for a car meet and photoshoot.

Seized dash cam footage showed them following one another in convey. As they raced down Chester Road, Manchester, at excess speed, they’re seen to run their first red light.

From the audio from the dash cam footage, you can hear the vehicles accelerating harshly travelling well over the 30mph speed limit, and you can see members of the public and cyclists who are nearby, put in danger by these individuals’ reckless behaviour.

Laughing with one another, they can be heard stating “I f****ing beat Nabil on that straight”,  and “I think we need to start driving nicely now”, highlighting they knew how dangerously they were driving, but they didn’t care.

As the street race continued through White City Way, Manchester, the trio were seen driving in tandem and interacting with one another, before continuing at speed now of over 100mph, ignoring further red-light signals and pedestrian crossings.

Shortly after on Wharfside Way, Trafford, Roads Policing Officers were conducting high visibility speed checks, where the defendants were captured on a laser device travelling at almost 80mph. Farnworth was stopped and an investigation was launched to identify the other drivers.

On Friday, the trio appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court to be sentenced.

Sergeant Antony Hannon, from GMP Roads Policing Unit said: “This group treated our roads like a racetrack, placing members of the public in real danger. They travelled in excess of 100mph in busy residential built up areas, racing each other with no regard for anyone else.

“Speeding makes up one of the ‘Fatal 4’ alongside drink and drug driving, seatbelt misuse and the use of mobile devices behind the wheel, and I would urge drivers to think about the potentially fatal consequences their behaviour can have."