Darlington Man Jailed For Drink Driving

24 April 2013, 12:12 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A Darlington dad who was more than five times over the limit after driving his young children to nursery has been jailed for eight months.

40 year old Ian Lee Wilson, from Dundee Street, crashed into a car waiting at traffic lights, then reversed into another car and almost ran over a driver as he tried to get away.

Durham Crown Court heard the self-employed businessman had drunk most of a three-litre box of wine the night before, took his three children to nursery and then went home to finish it off that morning.

He was on his way to the supermarket at around 9am on March 26 when he crashed his Vauxhall Moriva in Haughton Road, Darlington, the court heard.

Ian West, prosecuting, said:
"He ran into a vehicle that had stopped at the red traffic lights.

The defendant tried to leave the scene by reversing.

Fortunately the driver of the car behind was out of their vehicle at the time.

The defendant effectively rammed the front of the vehicle behind in an attempt to escape.''

He almost ran one driver over in attempting to get away, the court heard.

A taxi driver blocked in Wilson's car and grabbed the ignition keys, and the police were called.

After his arrest, a test showed a reading of 188mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

A nursery worker later told police that Wilson "stank of drink'' when he dropped his children off the day before, Mr West said.

An 18-month driving ban was imposed in 2007 when he was convicted of being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol, the court heard.

Jennifer Coxon, defending, said Wilson was undergoing a series of personal problems as his business was failing, he faced financial difficulty and his marriage was under strain.

He had turned to drink and developed an alcohol dependency and now takes medication for depression, his barrister said.

Ms Coxon said he must have social services supervision when he now sees his children who are aged five, two and one.

Recorder Deborah Sherwin said:
"The danger you put your children in that morning cannot be described. `

t's difficult to imagine a worse case of driving while over the limit.''

Wilson, who admitted drink driving and dangerous driving at a previous hearing, was jailed for eight months and banned from driving for three years.