Drink-driving pair are shopped by families: Phone calls to police 'may have saved their lives'
TWO family members who shopped drink-drivers have been praised by police.
In separate cases, a son and a husband drove off after drinking. Their families have been applauded for their actions by Sergeant Garry Alderson who said: "The call those people made might just have saved the driver's life or someone else's.
"It's not always the easiest call to make but it is certainly the right thing to do when you think about the devastating consequences drink-driving can have."
Calderdale magistrates heard that Thomas Carr's mother turned him in after she spotted him drunkenly taking the family car for a late-night drive.
Police caught up with Carr, 22, of Railway Street, Brighouse, after he careered into a parked car just 200 yards from his home.
He was charged with taking a vehicle without consent, causing damage, drink-driving and driving with no insurance or licence.
Prosecutor Andy Wills, said Carr had come home after a night out and his mother saw him leave again in the family Corsa.
"She phoned police who were on patrol nearby and they followed him for 200 yards until he collided with a parked Mondeo."
Carr admitted the charges and his sentencing was postponed until October 20.
In the second incident it was a woman who reported her husband.
Martin Taylor, 38, had smashed up his home and driven off in the couple's Vauxhall Vectra.
The court heard Taylor, of The Willows, Illingworth, had begun arguing with his wife after coming home drunk.
Andy Wills, prosecuting, told magistrates Taylor's wife had phoned police to tell them the defendant was drunk, had damaged the house and left in the car.
He had not got far. When officers turned up they found the couple arguing in the street.
Taylor admitted drink driving and said he knew what he did was wrong.
He was banned from driving for 12 months, fined 300 fine and ordered to pay 60 costs.
I had to report my drink-driving son
Would you shop a drink-driving relative? Vote now in our poll on the right.
- A58 crash UPDATE: road now re-open after man hit by car earlier this morning
- Crash on the A58 in Halifax this morning UPDATE: Man in hospital with several broken bones
- Taxi worker dies aged 35 after finishing his shift
- Man suffers serious injuries in accident on M62
- How the new Halifax Central Library will look
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Halifax
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North west
