Drink driver's car flipped over

A drink driver who lost control of his car before it hit a wall, flipped over and landed on the other side of the road has appeared in court.

Edison Tucker admitted driving while impaired on North Shore Road on December 18 last year.

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke said Tucker crashed his Toyota Yaris near the junction of Stepney Lane at about 4.15 a.m.

The car overturned and the defendant told Police he was forced to take evasive action when an oncoming car went into his lane.

The court heard Tucker's breath smelt of alcohol.

And a blood test reading completed after he was taken to hospital with head injuries showed he was just over the legal limit.

Tucker, of Lismore Lane, Pembroke, was fined $1,000 and banned from the road for one year when he appeared before magistrates yesterday.

The court heard he had no previous convictions.

Motorcyclist taken off road for a year

A motorcyclist has been banned from the road for a year after Police saw him “stagger” towards them when he got off his bike.

Gary O' Brien was stopped by officers attending an unrelated traffic incident on the western section of the Railway Trail, near the junction with Sound View Road, Sandys.

The 51-year-old drove towards the Police vehicle and Crown counsel Oonagh Vaucrosson said his bike was “swerving from one side to the other”.

Officers asked him to stop and as he walked towards them he “started staggering from side to side”.

The defendant said he had not been drinking alcohol, but the court heard his speech was slurred and he was swaying.

O'Brien refused to give a breath test at the scene and when he was later taken to Hamilton Police Station.

The defendant said he refused the breath test because he was concerned about a friend who was travelling behind him, whom he lost sight of in his bike mirror.

He said he tried to take the test later and Police said no.

O'Brien, of Horseshoe Road, Southampton, admitted driving while impaired at 12.55 a.m. on February 5.

He was banned and fined $1,000 when he appeared before magistrates.

@EDITRULE:

•Court reports by Dan Jones