‘Abysmal’ Warsop driver locked up after police chase crash while drunk for fourth time

Officers saw Christian Evans was driving a silver Renault Clio without insurance in Mansfield, at 2.45am, on July 17, Nottingham Crown Court was told.

Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting, said: “There was nothing wrong with his driving, but when the officers found out it wasn't insured, they illuminated their blue lights.

“That’s when the defendant drives off.”

The court heard Evans reached speeds in excess of 75mph during the four-minute chase which ended when he ran a red light and collided with a white BMW at a T-junction.

The impact spun his car around and Evans was pulled out and arrested.

A breath test revealed he had 71 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, when the legal limit is 35mcg.

The court heard he was on bail for similar offences at the time and borrowed his partner's car to buy more drink.

He has 17 previous convictions and was for drink-related driving offences in October 2021, and December 21.

The BMW’s driver woke up with pains in his back and neck afterwards and wasn’t able to use the car, which is ‘his pride and joy’, while it was being repaired.

Evans, aged 33, of Robin Hood Avenue, Warsop, admitted drink-driving, driving without insurance and while disqualified, failing to stop and driving while disqualified.

Thomas Welshman, mitigating, said Evans was trying to tackle his drinking problem and had quit DJing because of the proximity of alcohol, but hoped to return to it in the future.

Sentencing, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC told Evans: “Your advocate has striven manfully to keep you from custody. You know and I know he is wasting his time.

“The time has come for you to receive a proper custodial sentence.Your driving record is abysmal.

“You have no excuse for it. You have hidden from yourself for too long your dependence on alcohol. You knew what you were doing. You chose to take the risks.”

He said Evans’ partner's mental health difficulties were exacerbated by his “gross selfishness”.

Evans was jailed for 15 months and banned from driving for five years and seven and a half months.