DRUNK driver Philip Adams crashed into a set of traffic lights while being watched by police.
The 44-year-old, of Malvern Street, St Paul's, was twice over the limit when he crashed near the Odessa Inn on the A38 just outside Tewkesbury on February 22.
Adams, who admitted driving with excess alcohol, having no insurance and no MoT, was at the time subject to a suspended sentence for beating up his girlfriend in 2011.
But at Gloucester Crown Court, Judge Jamie Tabor QC decided not to implement the sentence and allowed Adams to walk free.
He fined him a total of £1,000 plus a £60 surcharge and banned him from driving for two years.
The judge also placed him under a 12 month community order, banned him from pubs and clubs for four months and imposed a three month curfew from 8pm to 5am each night.
Prosecutor Tim Hills told the court at an earlier hearing that police saw Adams driving along the A38 towards the Odessa Inn at 4.50pm.
"He suddenly lost control and collided with traffic lights," Mr Hills said.
"He then drove off at speed along the A38 and stopped in a farm field.
"The police followed and he was found to be smelling of alcohol. He admitted he had been drinking.
Sentence
"He gave a breath specimen which showed he had 70mcgs of alcohol – twice the limit."
Mr Hills said Adams had received a suspended sentence in 2011 for drunkenly beating up his then girlfriend.
Although the current offences were of a different nature, alcohol was involved in both, he said.
Judge Tabor said it appeared that, although Adams was supposed to tackle his alcohol problem after the 2011 assault, he had not done so.
Mr Hills told him the attack happened at the girlfriend's home in Surbiton on December 19, 2011. Police were called to the address and saw her "under the Christmas tree bleeding", said Mr Hills.
She had a left eye socket fracture, a suspected broken nose, painful shoulder and arm and right shoulder dislocation.
"It would seem he is a different man when sober," said Mr Hills.
"He said he could not remember what happened. When he saw the pictures he said if he had done that he was disgusted and he was sorry."
Stephen Thomas, defending, said Adams had suffered a "tragic incident" in 2007 which had led to him drinking.
"There is an issue of alcohol and that does need to be addressed," he said.
OPINION, P8