Driver crashed on M5 then emerged with bottle of rum

DRIVER John McDonugh crashed his car on an icy motorway before emerging from his vehicle with a bottle of rum.

The 41-year-old reached speeds of up 80mph on the southbound carriageway of the M5 between junctions 11a and 12 before crashing into the central reservation.

He skidded across the carriageway and into the path of a Ford Transit van.

Two drivers stopped to help but McDonugh shouted abuse at them and began to drive away, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

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But with pieces of metal hanging off his car and scraping on the road, he only managed 200 metres before getting out of the car with a bottle of rum in one hand and coke in the other.

McDonugh, a father of twins, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on December 14, 2011, but avoided being sent to prison.

Prosecutor Susan Cavender told the court how he tried to drive off in his Renault Megane after the crash.

She told the court: "He started the silver car up, wheel spun back on to the M5. Bits of the car were flying off and they were astonished to think it even started again.

"He got 200 metres with metal dragging on the road before he walked away from the vehicle with a bottle of rum and coke in his hands."

She said when police arrived he was "threatening and aggressive" and claimed he had only drunk alcohol after the crash.

Marcus Karehling-Smith said McDonugh recalled very little of the incident and believed he had skidded on the ice.

He said: "He comes to court knowing a custodial sentence is possible, if not probable."

But Judge William Hart spared McDonugh, of Britton Road, Malvern, an immediate prison sentence.

He suspended a 34-week jail term for 15 months, ordered him to undertake a six-month alcohol rehabilitation and imposed a 12-week curfew from 9pm to 6am.

McDonugh was also banned from driving for 15 months and will have to complete an extended driving test following the disqualification.

Judge Hart told him: "You have dealt with very considerable personal difficulties, but you are effectively medicating yourself with alcohol and it has ended in a very sorry state.

"You have taken your life in hand and begun to rebuild a shattered life.

"I believe if you were sent back to prison I would be setting you back on the wrong path."