Hungerford businessman Hugo Scott-Russell awaits sentence for dangerous driving and failing to stop

A WELL known businessman is awaiting sentence for dangerous driving resulting in an injury accident.

Hugo Scott-Russell was due to be sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Monday (August 12).

But his barrister successfully argued for an adjournment so his client could attend a rehabilitation centre following a detox procedure.

At a previous hearing, at Reading Magistrates’ Court in June, 37-year-old Scott-Russell, a former employee at Garden Art in Hungerford, admitted driving an Audi Q3 dangerously on the eastbound carriageway of the M4 near Bradfield on November 10 last year.

The court heard an accident ensued in which another person, Andrew Grove, was injured.

Scott-Russell, who lives at Oxenwood, Marlborough, Wiltshire, further admitted failing to stop after the accident.

Magistrates deemed their own powers of punishment were insufficient and sent the case to the crown court for sentencing.

At Monday’s hearing, Adam Williams, for Scott-Russell, asked for an adjournment while a placement at a rehabilitation centre was arranged.

Judge Kirsty Real said: “He has come out of detox; rehabilitation is set up and needs to fall into place.

“Looking at the pre-sentence report, some sentencing options are pretty much ruled out for various reasons.”

She added: “There are no promises because, if the rehabilitation doesn’t go well we will have to think about other options.

“But I’m prepared to adjourn for two weeks.”

Turning to the defendant, Judge Real said: “If there’s going to be a prospect of your rehabilitation in the community, we’ve got to get on with it.

“I don’t want to keep adjourning this.”

The sentencing hearing was rescheduled for Wednesday, August 28.

Scott-Russell was meanwhile released on unconditional bail.

In 2021, Scott-Russell was a partner in The Blanchard Collective, a group of specialist dealers in antiques, furniture and decorative items, which was bought by the directors of Hungerford’s Garden Art Plus Ltd, Travers and Katie Nettleton.

He had resigned as a director in 2019.