A LITTLE Sutton man who refused to take a breath test when he was stopped by the police was banned from driving for four years by Chester Magistrates.
The court heard David Eric McAteer, aged 26, of Bewick Drive was stopped by the police on July 24 on the A550.
Prosecutor Rob Youds said a witness had spotted McAteer driving his Rover 400 erratically on the A550 in the direction of Ellesmere Port.
Mr Youds said: “A witness saw the car stop and the driver’s door open, the defendant then exited the car and fell backwards, the defendant got up and walked into a nearby garden. He then reemerged and walked out into the traffic of the A550.”
The police had been called and stopped McAteer and asked him to do a breath test. It came back positive.
Mr Youds said McAteer was then taken to Blacon custody suite and was asked to take another breath test.
Mr Youds said: “The defendant blew into the machine too hard and had to repeat the test a number of times – after the fourth attempt he said ‘I am not doing it again’.”
The court heard McAteer admitted he had been driving while drunk, and believes he had around 12 pints of lager before he had got into the car.
Chester Magistrates sentenced McAteer to 120 hours of unpaid work and disqualified him from driving for four years. He was also ordered to go on an alcohol dependency programme and pay £95 costs.
