Ban for drink-driver who broke police officer's watch in "violent struggle"

Tuesday 10 October 2023

A 34-year-old man guilty of drinking and driving, resisting arrest and obstructing the police has been fined £1,800, banned from the roads for 16 months.

Douglas Raymond Ward admitted the offences when he appeared in he Magistrate's Court. He was also placed on probation for nine months.

St Helier Centenier Paul Davies, prosecuting, told the court that on 17 June States police had gone to the block of flats where Ward lived to speak to another resident.

Ward had tried to stop them entering by standing in front of the communal door.

Then on the evening of 27 June they saw Ward swerving as he rode his grey moped along Gloucester Street.

He was stopped by police and Mr Davies said: “His speech was slurred, he gave inappropriate answers to questions he was asked and he smelt of intoxicant.”

He was found to have 52 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.The legal maximum of 35 micrograms.

Pictured: The case was heard in the Magistrate's Court this week.

Mr Davies added: “He refused to be handcuffed, clutching his fists to his chest. It resulted in a violent struggle, in which he broke a police officer’s watch.”

Advocate Chris Baglin, defending, said: “He acknowledges that he struggles in his interaction with authorities. He acknowledges that he shouldn’t have got in the way of the police.”

He also said of the drink-driving offence: “He did not go out with the intention: ‘I’m going to drink and drive. He ordered non-alcoholic beer but the staff, whose first language wasn’t English, misheard him.”

He had one previous conviction dating from 13 years ago.

Relief Magistrate Peter Harris allowed him to pay the fine at the rate of £200 per month and ordered him to retake the driving test after the ban has elapsed.