A DRUNK man was pulled from behind the wheel of a campervan which lurched forward and hit another van on a Lake District car park.
Jarred Hellon, 48, and his wife were seen returning to a campervan parked at the Lakeside car park in Keswick on June 9, Workington Magistrates’ Court heard.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said the defendant was seen ‘stumbling’ into the van. A witness heard the engine start and Hellon’s van moved forward. A man in the next campervan heard a ‘loud crunch’ and saw his own van had been hit by Hellon’s.
The man pulled Hellon out of the driver’s seat. Hellon apologised and offered to pay for any damage. He asked for the police not to be called. But police were called by a witness who saw the incident. Hellon was seen walking away from the scene but was pointed out to police.
He was breathalysed and gave a reading of 85mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit to drive is 35mcg. He was taken to custody and breath samples were requested but he didn’t provide.
The police officer who conducted the procedure, said Hellon started talking about when he had pulled him over three months ago but he couldn’t remember him. Hellon claimed he was being victimised by the officer.
During the procedure, Hellon said he didn’t want the officer holding the tube because he ‘didn’t want him in his face’. Hellon provided an insufficient sample.
Ms Fee said Hellon requested another officer on a number of occasions but this wasn’t possible because the officer was the only one available who was trained in the procedure.
Hellon had caused about £1,500 worth of damage to the other campervan, the court heard.
Mike Pope, defending, said Hellon had tried to provide a sample and when he attempted to provide again, police told him time had run out and the procedure was stopped.
Hellon, of Patterdale Close, Whitehaven, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
Magistrates accepted a basis of plea in which Hellon said he accepted he had been lawfully arrested and had been in charge of a vehicle when the incident which led to his arrest occurred.
He intended to spend the night in his van at the Lakeside car park and returned to the van to sleep. He hadn’t realised the van was in gear when he turned the engine on to run the heater and the van lurched forward.
Hellon said the man in the adjoining campervan pulled him out and was ‘highly aggressive’. He said he walked away to escape the man’s threats, not to avoid police. He complied with officers and provided a sample when police arrived.
At the police station, he was ‘anxious’ and ‘upset’ that this particular officer was to conduct the breathalyser. He requested another officer but police did not agree. He felt ‘intimidated’ by the officer who he had complained about from a previous occasion.
Hellon said he tried to provide but it was insufficient and police said he had run out of time before he had chance to complete the test.
Magistrates banned Hellon from driving for 20 months and imposed a 12-month community order with 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work.
Hellon must pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
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