Motorist told police who spotted him weaving all over the road he had not been drinking but had not slept for three days because of HICCUPS
- Paul Bates appeared slumped over steering wheel and was swerving on A595
- He told police he was ‘exhausted’ because he had hiccups for three days
- Bates admitted careless driving and got nine points on his licence
A careless driver who police suspected of being over the limit told officers that he was just tired because a bout of hiccups had kept him awake for three nights.
Paul Bates, 48, was swerving across the A595 near Egremont, Cumbria, in his gold Citroen Picasso last September when he was reported to police.
The delivery driver, of Seascale, appeared to be slumped over the steering wheel and was swerving over the central white line.
Stephen Hallett, who was in front of Bates, feared he would be clipped from behind. He called police, providing them with a running commentary while following.
When officers finally caught up with Bates and had him pull over, the motorist claimed he was ‘utterly shattered’ from having the hiccups.
Paul Bates was swerving across the A595 near Egremont, Cumbria, in his gold Citroen Picasso last September when he was reported to police
Tim Evans, prosecuting, told Carlisle Crown Court: ‘He was claiming he had been suffering from a bout of hiccups for three consecutive days’.
He added this meant Bates ‘had not been getting any sleep’.
Anthony Parkinson, mitigating, said Bates’ careless driving was ‘purely as a result of tiredness and exhaustion’, telling the court: ‘He demonstrates some degree of remorse and insight into his behaviour and his driving’.
Bates admitted careless driving, and was given nine penalty points on his licence.
He was also given a £130 fine, and is set to lose his job because he will be banned for six months under the totting-up process.
Recorder Eric Lamb praised Mr Hallett for following Bates, saying he should be ‘commended for his public-spirited actions’.
Tim Evans, prosecuting, told Carlisle Crown Court that Bates ‘was claiming he had been suffering from a bout of hiccups for three consecutive days’
Source: Read Full Article