Crash near Chichester: three off-duty police officers sentenced for dangerous driving after collision

Police said that the three riders, all off-duty police officers, were travelling south towards Chichester at about 1.20pm on Saturday, July 11, 2020, when two of them were involved in a collision with a red Ford Fiesta.

The motorcyclists suffered multiple injuries and the driver of the car, an 80-year-old man from Chichester, and his passenger suffered minor injuries, said police.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “Alan Harris and James Latter, both aged 32 and based at Lewes, and Ahmet Yapicioz, aged 55 and based at Gatwick, were summonsed to court to face the charge of dangerous driving.

“Yapicioz and Harris were also summonsed with driving at a speed exceeding 60 miles an hour.”

“All three pleaded guilty to the offences when they appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 7 March, 2022,” said the police spokesperson.

The police spokesperson added: “At the same court on Friday 8 April, all three were sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and given an 18-month driving disqualification with extended retest required.”

“They were also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 costs and victim surcharge,” they said.

Superintendent James Collis, head of Roads Policing, said: “Sussex Police strives to keep people safe on our roads and the reckless actions of these three individuals has caused harm to both themselves and others.

“They have rightly been held to account for their behaviour and we will continue to take action against all those that break the law and endanger the lives of others.”

“These officers have failed to maintain the high standards Sussex Police expects of all its officers, on and off duty, and an internal misconduct investigation will now be completed.

“The outcomes at court today should serve as a warning to those that drive or ride with excessive speeding or anti-socially, that this comes with serious consequences for all involved.”