A MAN who sped off from the police because he knew he wasn’t insured and then abandoned his car in Bridgwater was caught drink driving three months later in Glastonbury.

Samuel Rose panicked when police saw him in Bridgwater and sped off despite them putting on their lights and sirens.

He failed to stop and they later found his vehicle abandoned with the driver’s door left open and the car was seized because it had no insurance.

Less than three months later the defendant was caught drink driving after he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a barrier at some traffic lights outside the Premier Inn in Glastonbury.

The 27-year-old defendant, of High Street, Street, appeared in the dock before Somerset Magistrates, sitting at Yeovil.

He pleaded guilty to using a Citroen C3 without insurance and failing to stop when required by a police constable at Bridgwater on August 28.

He also admitted driving a Ford Fiesta on the A39 at Glastonbury on November 18 after consuming excess alcohol.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said shortly after midnight on August 28, a Citroen was seen by police parked on Tudor Way in Bridgwater and a male got out and took a bag from the back.

“The officers pulled up and tried to engage with the driver however he reversed and drove off so the police activated their lights but it failed to stop.

“It made off at speed and was located a few minutes later abandoned with the driver’s door open at Davies Close.”

The car had no insurance and was seized, and the defendant contacted the police through his solicitor and attended for a voluntary interview where he admitted the offences.

On November 18 a police officer was driving home from work on the A39 at Glastonbury at 11.30pm when he noticed a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which was struggling to negotiate a bend in the road.

“The car continued past him but then began to lose control and the officer found the vehicle which had collided with the nearside barrier at traffic lights outside the Premier Inn,” said Miss Lenanton.

“The defendant was detained, smelt strongly of alcohol and was arrested.”

Appearing unrepresented, Rose told the court there was no excuse for what he did and admitted he had been “silly”.

“I apologise for what I did and work as a self-employed driver so it will affect my living,” he said.

The magistrates banned Rose from driving for 16 months, fined him £140 for drink driving and £120 for having no insurance.