West Sussex driver disqualified for loading sofa on roof of soft-top car

By Lawrence Smith
Published 9th Aug 2023, 14:47 BST
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A West Sussex motorist has been convicted and disqualified from driving after ignoring warnings not to drive with a sofa on the soft roof of his convertible car, Sussex Police have said.

Police said that Matthew Dummer, 34, from Stedham loaded the furniture and a mattress onto the roof of a Renault coupe in April 2021.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “PC Tom Van Der Wee from the Roads Policing Unit had warned him not to drive with the items on the roof after spotting the car parked outside Dummer’s home address in the village of Stedham, West Sussex. But the 34-year-old was seen driving on the A286 in Singleton with the same load being carried.”

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Sussex Police said that Matthew Dummer, 34, from Stedham loaded the furniture and a mattress onto the roof of a Renault coupe in April 2021Sussex Police said that Matthew Dummer, 34, from Stedham loaded the furniture and a mattress onto the roof of a Renault coupe in April 2021
Sussex Police said that Matthew Dummer, 34, from Stedham loaded the furniture and a mattress onto the roof of a Renault coupe in April 2021

Police said that Dummer, unemployed, of Common View, Stedham, was sent a notice of intended prosecution (NIP) for dangerous driving. Police said he chose to go to trial at Portsmouth Crown Court where he was found guilty of the charge, and at a sentencing hearing on July 6 he was disqualified from driving for one year. Sussex Police said the court also ordered Dummer to complete 60 hours of unpaid work and pay £95 court costs.

Speaking after the case PC Van Der Wee said: “It should be obvious to any competent driver just how ridiculous it is carrying a load such as this on a soft top car. By forgoing all common sense and ignoring my warning, he put other road users at significant risk.”

He said: “As well as being disqualified from driving for 12 months, Dummer must now re-do his driving test and will inevitably face higher insurance premiums as a result of this disqualification.”