A Derbyshire police officer was forced to wrestle a booze-fuelled motorcyclist to the ground

A police officer was forced to wrestle a booze-fuelled motorcyclist to the ground after he had been caught over the drink-drive limit.
A police officer faced a struggle to bring a drink-drive motorcyclist to justice.A police officer faced a struggle to bring a drink-drive motorcyclist to justice.
A police officer faced a struggle to bring a drink-drive motorcyclist to justice.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on November 8 how Liam Hill, 23, of North Wingfield Road, Grassmoor, Chesterfield, was followed and blocked in by a police vehicle at Park Road, Holmewood.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “A police constable was on duty at half-past midnight on October 20 at Birkin Lane, Grassmoor, when he saw a motorcycle and that activated the officer’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition and the vehicle - being ridden most likely by Hill - took off at speed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It was followed into an industrial estate and he blocked him in at a barrier to the estate. The defendant took his helmet off and he smelled of alcohol and he was unsteady and he was asked to step into the police vehicle but he refused.”

Mrs Allsop added the officer tried to put Hill in the police vehicle but the defendant pushed him and struggled while swinging his helmet about as the officer applied one handcuff to his left wrist.

However, Hill managed to get out of the police vehicle, according to Mrs Allsop, and the officer had to force him to the ground and further handcuff him.

Hill admitted to police he had been driving over the limit but he initially denied resisted the police officer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He admitted drinking five cans of Stella Artois and said he had been going to a shop to buy more alcohol.

Hill pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit on October 20 after registering 72 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

He also admitted resisting a police officer in the execution of his duty.

Hill told the court: “It was not a very good thing I did and I am sorry for wasting police time and money when they could have been doing something more productive instead of stopping me doing something so silly.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Magistrates fined Hill £230 and ordered him to pay a £32 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Hill was also disqualified from driving for 20 months but he can reduce this ban by 22 weeks if he completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course.