A suspected drink driver had to be pepper sprayed after he refused to get out his car following a crash.
Tony Bowden, who has a number of previous motoring offences on his record, including five for failing to provide specimens of breath of blood, had collided with an oncoming vehicle near Forth Banks Police Station, in Newcastle City Centre, when officers attended and found him "slightly slumped" in the driver's seat, a court was told.
Despite repeatedly being asked, the 43-year-old refused to get out the car and continued to try and turn the ignition to start the engine. The officers were eventually forced to use pepper spray on the crook to get him out and he was arrested.
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Because Bowden, formerly from Newcastle's West End but now of Mount Pleasant, in Dipton, County Durham, suffered from diabetes, he was taken to hospital, where a doctor deemed him fit enough to provide a blood sample to police. However, Bowden refused and he was further arrested for failing to provide a specimen of blood, which he pleaded guilty to to Newcastle Magistrates' Court this week.
Claire Armstrong, prosecuting, said officers were leaving Forth Banks Police Station at around 12.20am on November 15 this year when they were flagged down by a passing motorist, who informed them of a two-vehicle crash further down the road. They attended the scene and spoke to the driver of a Vauxhall Astra, who said Bowden had crashed into him.
Miss Armstrong continued: "One of the cars was partially blocking the road. Officers saw the defendant in the driver's seat of his car, slightly slumped and trying the ignition. They noticed his speech was slurred and his eyes were glazed and he refused to exit the car when asked.
"He continued to try and turn the ignition. After numerous requests to get out the vehicle, he still refused and grabbed the steering wheel tightly. Officers struggled with the defendant in order to get him out the car then ended up using pepper spray. He was then taken out the car and arrested."
The court was told that Bowden, who has 48 offences on his record, was taken to hospital following his arrest but a doctor deemed him medically fit to be able to give a blood sample, which he refused - his sixth refusal to provide police with a specimen of blood or breath since 2002.
Jack Lovell, defending, said Bowden couldn't remember anything about the incident as he'd suffered a blackout due to a change in medication for his diabetes. Mr Lovell added: "He's kept out of trouble since 2017. The way he presented to the police was probably because of his diabetes.
"His reason for failing to provide a specimen is because he hadn't drank any alcohol, so didn't see why he had to provide a specimen. Now, he accepts he should have."
Bowden was given a 12-month community order and must pay a £300 fine, £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge. He was also banned from the roads for 17 months.
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