Drink driver blundered into police

A DRINK driver who hid from police in a garden after crashing his car botched an evasion attempt up by mistakenly asking an officer “has he gone yet”, a court has heard.

Andy Platts, 26, of The Street, Martlesham, crashed a blue Peugeot 106 into a hedgerow on Papermill Lane, Claydon, at around 12.15am on Saturday October 28.

Rather than stick around he abandoned the car and fled the scene before police arrived.

Appearing at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court, Platts pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

Magistrates heard that following the crash police checked the registration of the Peugeot and were able to confirm that Platts was the registered keeper.

Further enquiries discovered he had been on his way to Claydon to meet friends at the time of the accident.

Around one hour later Platts was located at his friend's house but initially tried to give police the slip by hiding in the rear garden.

John Hardwick, prosecuting, read out a statement from arresting officer Pc Ian Grimsey to the court.

“I went to the rear patio door and went outside into the garden,” Pc Grimsey's statement read.

“As I walked around the side of the patio a male I now know to be Andy Platts came towards me and said 'Ok mate, has he gone yet?'”

“I replied 'no mate, I'm still here and you're coming with me'.”

Platts provided a positive roadside specimen of breath and was arrested at around 1.20am.

The test recorded 57 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Magistrates disqualified Platts from driving for 16 months, to be reduced by four months on successful completion of a drink-driving rehabilitation course.

He was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £60.

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