Drink driver tried to fool pursuing police following crash - by moving into back seat

A drink driver failed to fool pursuing police when he swapped seats after he smashed through a fence and landed up in a field.

George Elcoate, 30, from Middlesbrough, was double the drink limit and he had been driving his Saab with the passenger door hanging open.

He reached 70mph in a 30 zone followed by a police car with blue lights and siren sounding before he clipped a roundabout on the Trunk Road near Grangetown fire station and crashed into the field.

A rescuing office found that the black Saab Cabriolet was locked,a woman passenger screaming hysterically in the front, and Elcoate was on the back seat shouting that the driver had run off.

Other police units arrived and he was eventually removed from the car protesting “Don’t arrest me”.

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court today that Elcoate had been shouting to the woman “He’s run off, hasn’t he, he’s run off”.

When he was arrested he said “You can’t arrest me, he’s run off”.

He failed a breath test with a reading of 87 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, and in interview he said that he could not remember much, he had been to a party earlier that night October 23.

When he was shown a video recording of his driving filmed from the unmarked police car he agreed that it had been dangerous.

Mrs Haigh said he admitted: “I’m lucky I crashed into the fence and did not run anyone over.

“I’m glad I got stopped.”

Andrew Turton, defending, said that Elcoate agreed that he was stupid to get into the car because of the amount of alcohol he had drunk.

Mr Turton added: “He has abstained from alcohol since December and he is seeking the help for his problems that he should have done earlier.

“He understands the risk of driving in this manner, and he may well not drive again himself. “

Judge Tony Briggs told Elcoate: “Those who drive motor vehicles when they are potentially unfit to do so through drink put others at risk.

“Happily no one was injured but had you not come off the road at that particular point no doubt others would have been put at risk. “

Elcoate, of Runswick Road, Middlesbrough, was given a nine months jail sentence suspended for two years with supervision for 18 months, disqualified for two years and until he passes an extended driving test, and ordered to pay £100 surcharge after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and excess alcohol.