Grantham court: Driver ignored sirens before crashing

Police tried to stop a suspected drink driver as they followed him through town by using their blue lights and sirens, but he was only caught when he crashed into fencing.

Nathan Richard Walker, 23, of Sunningdale, Grantham, admitted failing to stop when required by police, drink driving and failing to give the vehicle owner’s details after an accident on November 1.

Prosecuting, Jim Clare said a 999 call was made at 1.15am by someone who was concerned the driver of a silver Toyota Celica may have been drinking. Walker drove the car out of the Sunningdale estate, colliding with a van as he went. He was seen by police officers in Belton Lane. They tried to stop him at the junction with Manthorpe Road by putting on blue lights but Walker continued crossing the central white line.

Another police vehicle also tried to stop him, but he continued past Belton Garden Centre and into Belton village. Driving on to Five Gates Lane, Walker’s car left the road and crashed, causing damage to 40 metres of fencing belonging to the National Trust.

Walker carried on driving towards Alma Park where he missed a police stinger, before he was finally brought to a halt by marked police cars. He gave a positive roadside breath test and at the police station another test measured 96 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol.

Defending, Chris Pye-Smith said Walker had a clean licence and no previous convictions. He added: “He has no idea why he did this. He had been out that evening and walked into town. He had gone home and for some reason he cannot explain he got into his car and went for a drive. He has no recollection of that. He is now avoiding alcohol and he has sold his car.”

After a report from probation, the magistrates imposed a community order on Walker, ordering him to do 150 hours of unpaid work. He was disqualified from driving for 24 months which will be reduced by 24 weeks if he completes a drink driver’s rehabilitation course successfully. He was also ordered to pay a £150 criminal court charge, £60 victim surcharge and £85 costs.