Louth man left scene of car accident '˜while almost three times over drink-drive limit'

Anthony James Dowse, 38, of Abbey Road, admitted driving with excess alcohol when he appeared at Skegness Magistrates’ Court yesterday (June 7).

Dan Pietryka, prosecuting, said Dowse was driving his car in Stockwith Drive at 8.40pm on October 11 last year, when he collided with a street sign post.

He said Dowse got out of the car and walked away, and was later traced by police. He provided a positive breath test and was arrested.

He gave a reading of 102 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, The legal limit is 35.

Dowse, who said he had been drinking vodka and lager, told police he did not report the accident as more damage had been caused to his car than the sign.

Mark Hudson, mitigating, said there had been ‘no real excuse’ for Dowse driving the car that night but following the accident, in which he said there was no damage to the sign, he had parked his car and walked to his uncle’s home.

After being told Dowse was already voluntarily attending the alcohol advisory service DART, the magistrates adjourned for sentence on June 14 and called for a report from the Probation Service.

They gave Dowse an interim driving ban until that date.