Samuel Lovatt, 32, of Woodhall Place, Newcastle, was convicted of drink-driving, failure to stop and causing criminal damage after the crash on May 29 last year. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard how he had been driving a grey Audi A3 when he rear-ended a silver Hyundai Tucson and then fled the scene.
Prosecutor Kyle Padley told the court: "The victim was rear-ended by another car which was being driven by the defendant. He failed to stop at the scene."
Fled to a woman's home
Lovatt went to a woman's property through the back garden, went upstairs and threw the car keys on the bed. He told her he had been in an accident, and she called 999. She lived not far from the scene.
When officers arrived, they found Lovatt clearly under the influence. He admitted he had been drinking earlier that afternoon. A breath test showed he had 78 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath – more than twice the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.
Damage at the police station
After arrest, Lovatt began punching the walls of his cell and smeared his blood over them. Police had to bring in specialist cleaners at a cost of £195.
The court heard Lovatt had turned to drinking after struggling with the breakdown of his 12-year relationship. He mixed alcohol with antidepressants, resulting in a "change in his behaviour".
Probation and mitigation
Probation service officer Nick Sutton said Lovatt was suitable for community rehabilitation. He noted that unpaid work might not be appropriate as Lovatt is about £35,000 in debt. Mr Sutton said: "He was suffering with depression and had been prescribed sertraline. Unfortunately, as we have heard in this court before, he mixed that with alcohol which caused a change in his behaviour. He has since gone back to the GP to change his medication and completed a programme with Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery Service. He no longer consumes alcohol. His risk of reoffending is tied to his use of alcohol. He was driving a relatively new car which he had only owned for a month. His insurance paid out for the damages caused to the other vehicle, but it didn't pay out for the damages to his vehicle. This left him with significant debt."
Scott Ashdown, mitigating, said Lovatt had been behaving uncharacteristically and had taken steps to address his conduct. He explained: "He is 32 years old and of previous good character. It appears to have been a combination of factors causing a maelstrom. He acted to address his issues before the intervention of the probation service, which shows a great deal of responsibility on his part. That is a very significant factor to consider. It demonstrates that he wants to sort out these problems, move on, and live his life. He has been living with his mother and working at a warehouse to pay off his debts. He struggled to pay my fees, but I want to see him do well so I have given him a chance. I ask your worships to give him a chance too."
Sentence
Lovatt was handed a 20-month driving ban. He also received a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation days and a 120-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement, and was ordered to pay £709 in costs.
