Norfolk drink-driver hid from police under bed
Anthony CarrollA drink driver who crashed his car into three vehicles in a Broadland village tried to hide from police by concealing himself under his bed a court heard yesterday.Anthony Carroll
A drink driver who crashed his car into three vehicles in a Broadland village tried to hide from police by concealing himself under his bed a court heard yesterday.
John-james Westlake was discovered under the bed of his home in Martham, near Great Yarmouth, after he had walked away when his Peugeot hit the parked vehicles in the village.
Yarmouth Magistrates Court heard that Westlake, 29, of Clarendon Drive, had been drinking after his father's funeral before the incident happened in Somerton Road on the evening of December 22.
He had been on his way to Winterton where he had spent many hours with his father.
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Westlake's attempt to hide himself under his bed came to light as he pleaded guilty to drink driving and was banned from driving for three years - his second such conviction in eight years.
The court heard that after hitting the three cars in Somerton Road he left a note and walked home where he was tracked down by police.
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Rachel Balfour, prosecuting, said: 'They(the police) found him hiding under the bed.'
When Westlake, an offshore agency worker and a plumber, was arrested he told police he had two pints of cider and a glass red wine following his father's funeral.
Police had to use a scientist to prove that Westlake was over the limit at the time of the accident.
The court heard that Westlake had a drink driving conviction from October 2002.
Rob New, mitigating, said his client had not felt drunk at the time of the accident and said the collision was caused by icy road conditions.
Mr New said: 'It was an unfortunate incident on a difficult day when he was not thinking as clearly as he should have been.'
Westlake was also fined �1,000 and ordered to pay �85 costs.
