redred
11-03-2016, 06:04 PM
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276268/Article/images/29865759/15661683-large.jpg
A grandad who downed a bottle of booze drove the wrong way along most of the M32 without so much as a scratch to anyone.
Church-goer Hencle Green, 76, supped the fortified Dragon Stout before driving his Hyundai MPV onto the motorway against the traffic and heading towards the city.
Bristol Crown Court heard the granddad-of-28 caused petrified drivers heading out of town at 8pm, through the narrowed Metrobus roadworks, to swerve out of the way.
By chance they included PC Mathew Shutt in a marked police car, who to his "absolute horror" missed the pensioner by just two feet.
http://i.imgur.com/Kc6YnX2.jpg
Though the officer activated his blue lights and sirens Green continued on his death-defying trip, stopped just before Eastville Park, did a three-point and drove in the right direction before stopping on the Junction One slip road and walking into the carriageway.
When PC Shutt dragged him to safety Green screamed "Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ!" before wetting himself.
Green, of Edinburgh Road, Keynsham, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen of breath in September.
Judge Michael Longman jailed him for four months and banned him from driving for five years.
He told the pensioner: "This was an example of extremely dangerous driving caused by excessive drinking.
"Everybody must realise that deliberately driving after having been drinking and driving dangerously will result in imprisonment.
"Nobody wants to send a man of your years and good character to prison. Such was the danger that you caused it seems this must be marked by immediate imprisonment."
Green was told to pass an extended driving test before returning to the road and his driving licence was endorsed.
Sam Jones, prosecuting, said after turning around and topping at Junction One, Green exited his car and "stumbled across traffic".
Mr Jones said: "The police officer pulled across traffic, got out and approached the defendant who was walking aimlessly across the carriageway, and dragged him to a place of safety on the hard shoulder.
"It was quite clear that the defendant was under the influence of alcohol or drugs."
A roadside breath test showed Green had 84 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35.
He was taken to a police station where he was described as "obstructive", and several more attempts to breathalyse him were inconclusive and he was not charged with drink driving.
Green told police he had gone to eat at the Thee Blackbirds pub in Stapleton, where he drank a bottle of Dragon Stout.
He said he was on medication and had little recollection of events that followed.
Laura Paisley, defending, said a car caused her client to swerve down an exit road onto the M32 as he was driving home.
She said "sheer panic" caused him to carry on against the flow of traffic.
Green told probation officer Paul Cornelius he had met an old friend in Bristol and they went to the pub.
Green theorised a chaser could have been put in his stout.
The court heard the father-of-seven acted as a carer for his wife, and problems with his back, shoulder, prostrate and heart.
Read more at http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/grandad-who-drove-wrong-way-down-large-section-of-m32-after-bottle-of-stout-is-sent-to-prison/story-29865759-detail/story.html#rf6VIzthYseEIqAh.99
A grandad who downed a bottle of booze drove the wrong way along most of the M32 without so much as a scratch to anyone.
Church-goer Hencle Green, 76, supped the fortified Dragon Stout before driving his Hyundai MPV onto the motorway against the traffic and heading towards the city.
Bristol Crown Court heard the granddad-of-28 caused petrified drivers heading out of town at 8pm, through the narrowed Metrobus roadworks, to swerve out of the way.
By chance they included PC Mathew Shutt in a marked police car, who to his "absolute horror" missed the pensioner by just two feet.
http://i.imgur.com/Kc6YnX2.jpg
Though the officer activated his blue lights and sirens Green continued on his death-defying trip, stopped just before Eastville Park, did a three-point and drove in the right direction before stopping on the Junction One slip road and walking into the carriageway.
When PC Shutt dragged him to safety Green screamed "Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ!" before wetting himself.
Green, of Edinburgh Road, Keynsham, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen of breath in September.
Judge Michael Longman jailed him for four months and banned him from driving for five years.
He told the pensioner: "This was an example of extremely dangerous driving caused by excessive drinking.
"Everybody must realise that deliberately driving after having been drinking and driving dangerously will result in imprisonment.
"Nobody wants to send a man of your years and good character to prison. Such was the danger that you caused it seems this must be marked by immediate imprisonment."
Green was told to pass an extended driving test before returning to the road and his driving licence was endorsed.
Sam Jones, prosecuting, said after turning around and topping at Junction One, Green exited his car and "stumbled across traffic".
Mr Jones said: "The police officer pulled across traffic, got out and approached the defendant who was walking aimlessly across the carriageway, and dragged him to a place of safety on the hard shoulder.
"It was quite clear that the defendant was under the influence of alcohol or drugs."
A roadside breath test showed Green had 84 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35.
He was taken to a police station where he was described as "obstructive", and several more attempts to breathalyse him were inconclusive and he was not charged with drink driving.
Green told police he had gone to eat at the Thee Blackbirds pub in Stapleton, where he drank a bottle of Dragon Stout.
He said he was on medication and had little recollection of events that followed.
Laura Paisley, defending, said a car caused her client to swerve down an exit road onto the M32 as he was driving home.
She said "sheer panic" caused him to carry on against the flow of traffic.
Green told probation officer Paul Cornelius he had met an old friend in Bristol and they went to the pub.
Green theorised a chaser could have been put in his stout.
The court heard the father-of-seven acted as a carer for his wife, and problems with his back, shoulder, prostrate and heart.
Read more at http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/grandad-who-drove-wrong-way-down-large-section-of-m32-after-bottle-of-stout-is-sent-to-prison/story-29865759-detail/story.html#rf6VIzthYseEIqAh.99