Drinking driving dad sped away from police on A60 London Road in Nottingham and crashed into bollard
A father led police on a high-speed chase down one of Nottingham's major roads while three times over the drink-drive limit. Nottingham Crown Court heard how Jason Pride reached double the limit in London Road before losing control of his car and crashing into a bollard. The 34-year-old then tried to run from police[1] but was captured quickly due to his level of drunkenness.
And having stayed out of trouble for the past eight years since his last offence, the defendant has been given an opportunity to avoid spending Christmas[2] behind bars. Handing Pride, of Newark, a six-month jail term, suspended for 18 months, Judge Steven Coupland said: "Your driving was appalling and when the police turned their lights on you should have pulled over. What you did was dangerous, you sped up very fast, lost control and hit a bollard.
Do you feel safe in Nottingham city centre? Let us know here.[3] "But this was the early hours when other road users who could have been put at significant danger were, thankfully, not around. You are 34 now and old enough to know better than to drink to this extent and get behind the wheel of a car.
"I accept that this took place when you were in very difficult circumstances but that is no excuse at all. I do not expect to see you again but if I do you will not be leaving through the front door of the dock." Annabel Lenton[4], prosecuting, said the incident happened in the early hours of April 29, this year.
She said police spotted a car being driven down the middle of London Road by Pride and, believing he might be a drink-driver, decided to try and pull him over. She said they illuminated their blue lights but, rather than stop, the defendant instead accelerated away at speed. The prosecutor said: "The car hit 60mph in a 30mph limit although I accept the pursuit was relatively short-lived.
He passed a junction and then lost control and collided with a bollard. Mr Pride then got out of the vehicle and tried to run away but the police managed to catch up with him and he was arrested. "A test saw him blow a reading of 105 (micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath) so he was three times the legal limit (which is 35)." Pride, of Newlands Avenue, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drink-driving and has 14 convictions for 20 offences but nothing since 2015.
Hannah Manuel, mitigating, said her client has a 14-year-old son from a previous relationship who lives with him and other children from a different relationship. She said at the time he was struggling to find settled accommodation for him and his child and had recently split up with his then partner. Ms Manuel said now he is taking home GBP450 per week and is looking for private rented accommodation to settle into.
She said: "This piece of driving was relatively short-lived and he accepts he panicked when he saw the police and made a reckless decision not to stop and tried to escape from the police."
As part of the suspended sentence order, the judge ordered the defendant to attend 32 rehabilitation sessions and to carry out 150 hours unpaid work.
He also disqualified him from driving for three years.