'Pal on car' man given driving ban after being caught on CCTV
A LATE-NIGHT drink driver who drove off with a friend clinging to the bonnet of his BMW walked free from court yesterday.
Peter James, of Scowles Road, Coleford, was given a driving disqualification and community service when he appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court.
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CCTV
Magistrates were shown CCTV footage of the incident, which took place in Coleford town centre at 1am on August 1.
The 23-year-old was found to have 62 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath as he drove off. He was warned he faced jail after admitting dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol at Gloucester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
But chairman of the bench, Nicholas Negus said he would not send him to jail.
He said: "I am ruling out custody, but you only just escaped custody by the skin of your teeth."
James, was disqualified from driving for 18 months and handed a 12 month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £85 costs.
3 Comments
by Steve, Cheltenham
Sunday, September 05 2010, 7:53PM
“What a nogman. Perhaps he thought the police wouldn't bother testing him because they wouldn't believe someone driving over the limit would be daft enough to attract attention like that.
You can be breathalysed in Cheltenham on a Saturday night just for driving without lights. Or in Bath for trying to outwit the police (well, how was I to know they'd have another car lying in wait in front of me - fortunately I hadn't been drinking. And it was Christmas, and in the small hours, so they were probably bored and enjoyed the chase. But I digress :) )”
by Big Ron, Abbeymead but thankfully nowhere near Clock Tower
Sunday, September 05 2010, 8:45AM
“The judge should have given 'the pal on car' a driving ban too - clearly no respect for a BMW car's bonnet.”
by Union Man, Cerney Wick
Saturday, September 04 2010, 8:02PM
“It was a bit of a laugh, thank god the Magistrate realised that and gave a realistic sentence for driving while piste”