A man who admitted causing a traffic collision that left a man with life-threatening injuries will be sentenced next month.

Angelo Simons, 31, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Jeffery Patterson through dangerous driving.

He also admitted causing grievous bodily harm while driving without a valid licence and not having any third party insurance.

The Supreme Court heard yesterday that Simons was riding his motorcycle along Malabar Road, Sandys, on December 28, 2021.

Simons attempted to overtake a car driving on a bend and collided head-on with Mr Patterson, who was also on a motorcycle.

The Bermuda Fire Service and EMTs were sent to the crash scene. They administered first aid to both riders and took them to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Mr Patterson sustained life-threatening injuries and had to be sent by air ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

The court heard that he suffered a broken jaw, crushed cheekbone and left eye socket, as well as fractures to his left ribs, his fifth lumbar vertebra, cuts to his knees and left eyelid, a concussion and loss of hearing in his left ear.

Simons suffered cuts around his left eye, mouth and left wrist, as well as damage to the tendons in his left hand.

It was later discovered that he did not have a valid driver’s licence and that his motorcycle was not not licensed or insured.

Both vehicles involved in the collision suffered extensive damage.

The court heard that Simons, from Sandys, was fined in 2018 for driving without a valid licence.

Audley Quallo, for the Crown, said that Simons may not have received a valid licence since that incident.

However, Michael Scott, for the defence, said that a social inquiry report showed that his client was at low risk of reoffending.

He said that the incident was instead reflective of a poor judgment call rather than “a pattern of criminal behaviour”.

He added: “He is remorseful for his actions and he recognises his mistakes. He is asking the courts to see him as a remorseful young man.”

Mr Scott rejected the idea that his client was solely responsible for a “violent collision” and said that this was caused by the combined speeds of both motorists.

He added that it was common for people within the West End not to get their motorcycles licensed and insured because they feared being targeted by gang members if they left Sandys.

Mr Scott reminded the court that Simons pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and should be shown leniency because of this.

He asked that if his client were to receive a jail sentence, it be suspended in whole or in part for no more than five years.

He explained: “A suspended sentence can act as a deterrent and Mr Simons will appreciate the severity of his actions through it.”

However, Mr Quallo rejected most of these claims. He said that there was no evidence that Simons was in a gang and, therefore, this theory of people being afraid to leave western gang territories should not apply to him.

He added that while Simons may have been relatively young, “he is certainly old enough to know right from wrong”.

Mr Quallo further said that Simons was a “prolific” traffic offender who should be held accountable for his actions.

He pointed out that Mr Patterson suffered “physical, emotional and psychological damage” from the incident.

He added: “The whole point of a licence is to show that the driver has been assessed by a competent driving body.”

Mr Quallo added that Bermuda suffered from dangerous drivers, which put lawful motorists in danger. He said that the cost of repairs and court fees in dangerous collisions ultimately fell on taxpayers.

He added that an international reputation for careless driving made tourists fearful of visiting the island and impacted a main economic pillar.

Mr Quallo called on Simons to serve 18 months in prison and to be banned from the roads for three years upon his release.

Simons, when given a chance to speak, said he was “very remorseful” for his actions.

He said: “I constantly think about Mr Patterson’s body and his family. I’m not a person who goes out and seeks to cause pain.”

He told the court that he had little memory of what had happened, only that he woke up in a hospital bed.

Simons added that, if he could talk to Mr Patterson now, he would say: “I’m sorry. I apologise for my carelessness.

“I’m not a bad person, it was just a careless mistake. I just seek forgiveness from the court.”

Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe adjourned the case until November 12 for sentencing and extended Simons’ bail.

He warned the defendant that his release on bail did not mean he would not receive a prison sentence.

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