He was later arrested at his home in Goole
Joshua Beadle appeared at Hull Crown Court(Image: Hull Live)
A reckless drink-driver hurtled along roads at frighteningly high speeds while being chased by the police after midnight – narrowly avoiding crashing into a 4×4 vehicle heading towards him in the opposite direction. Police had to accelerate to 100mph while just trying to “get level” with him and it was only by pure good luck that nobody was killed or seriously injured.
Joshua Beadle later told police that he had been drinking heavily and he was surprised that his breath test alcohol reading was not even higher, Hull Crown Court heard. Beadle, 22, of Percy Street, Goole, admitted dangerous driving, drink-driving, having no insurance and driving with only a provisional licence on December 14.
Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that police approached a mini roundabout in Boothferry Road, near Howden, and saw a white Vauxhall Astra estate pull out in front of them at about 12.15am. It was being driven too fast and was swerving to the left and right, narrowly avoiding a traffic island.
The car – driven by Beadle – travelled along Boothferry Bridge and was dangerously close to a taxi in front of it. The car was about two or three feet off the bumper of the taxi before overtaking it.
The Vauxhall was on the wrong side of the road heading into a bend and it narrowly avoided hitting a 4×4 vehicle coming the opposite direction. This vehicle had to swerve hard to avoid it.
The car accelerated along Centenary Road, Goole. The police accelerated to 100mph get level with Beadle and they activated their blue flashing lights in a bid to get the Vauxhall to stop.
The car swerved to the left and police lost sight out it. The police went to Beadle’s home to see if he could be found there.
“The car wasn’t there,” said Mr Welch. As the police drove down Percy Street, Beadle pulled out in front of them and an officer got a good look at him from about 3 metres away.
The officer feared that Beadle was going to ram the police car but, instead, he reversed into a parked car. He reversed away at speed before colliding with another vehicle. Beadle escaped on foot and the police lost sight of him.
He walked back to his home in Percy Street but he did not allow the police in. Police recognised Beadle inside the house, forced their way in and he was arrested inside. He gave a positive breath test specimen.
He was taken to the police station where a breath test reading revealed that he had 64mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
Beadle admitted driving while heavily drunk and he said that he was surprised that the alcohol reading was not higher. He had only a provisional driving licence, meaning that his insurance would be invalid.
Billy Torbett, mitigating, said that Beadle pleaded guilty to the offences and he had no previous convictions. He was in employment. No other mitigation was requested.
Judge John Thackray KC told Beadle: “This was an extremely reckless piece of driving at high speed in built-up areas and you could so easily have caused a death or serious injury. Had you done so, you would be facing a sentence measured in many years, not to mention having to live with the guilt of having taken someone’s life and destroyed someone’s family.
“As it as, you didn’t cause any injuries and you have had the good sense to plead guilty.” Beadle was given a one-year suspended prison sentence, 100 hours’ unpaid work, a 120-day alcohol abstinence monitoring order and 10 days’ rehabilitation.
He was banned from driving for two years and he will have to pass an extended retest before he can drive legally again. He must pay a £187 victims’ surcharge.
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