A drink-driver who accelerated towards a police officer on foot in Crawley in February this year, causing him to fear for his life, has been sentenced in court.
Police on patrol in Crawley High Street were alerted that a man had left The White Hart pub and got into his Vauxhall Corsa while intoxicated.
The vehicle was followed along Station Way and back into the High Street, where officers pulled in front of it and signalled for it to stop.
But the driver reversed and accelerated away, directly into the path of a Crawley Response Unit officer, who had by this time approached the Vauxhall on foot.
After narrowly avoiding serious injury, the car was pursued again. It was driven back to The White Hart pub, where the defendant Lee Houghton was detained and arrested.
He was charged with drink-driving, dangerous driving, failing to stop when required by police and common assault of an emergency worker.
Breath tests showed Houghton had 98 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml breath in his system – almost three times the legal limit of 35 micrograms.
Houghton, 38, of Ifield Road, Crawley, admitted all offences and appeared before Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Monday 16 March, where he was sentenced to 24 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
He was also disqualified from driving for 24 months and must take an extended re-test if he wishes to drive again, and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, 120 days of alcohol abstinence and pay £100 compensation to the officer.
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