A charity supporter drove into his former partner's garden, crashed into two taxis, and reversed into a tree while nearly three times the alcohol limit, a court heard. Andrew Pickering, 55, of Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drink-driving.
Valentine's Day Incident
At 7.45pm on 14 February, Pickering drove his black Ford Mondeo to his ex-partner's home in Middlesbrough and repeatedly reversed into the garden. He then collided with the rear of a taxi, reversed into a tree, and fled when a community support officer told him to stop.
Ten minutes later, he hit a second parked taxi on the front passenger side, deploying the airbags. The taxi driver, who had just dropped off a passenger, suffered a head wound requiring stitches and was semi-conscious with bruising.
Arrest and Breath Test
Pickering fled again, telling a bystander "the police are after me." He was soon caught. A breath test showed 94 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath; the legal limit is 35. In police interview, he said he could not recall the events due to a head injury but admitted drinking half a bottle of vodka the previous day and two glasses of wine that day.
Mitigation and Sentence
Defence barrister Robert Mochrie said Pickering was "a decent member of society" who had helped homeless people. He linked the behaviour to acute emotional distress from the sudden breakdown of his long-term relationship. Pickering had also suffered multiple bereavements, including his nephew being murdered in 2018, the loss of his son, and his brother's recent death.
Recorder Ayesha Smart called it "a persistent and deliberate case of dangerous driving" that could have caused fatalities. She said emotional struggles do not justify such "appalling drink-fuelled driving." She imposed an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, a three-year driving ban, 30 rehabilitation days, 120 days of alcohol abstinence monitoring, and 100 hours of unpaid work. She warned she came close to immediate custody and any breach would send him to jail.
