Man admits drink-driving in wrong direction along A14
Peter Hollocks was more than twice the legal drink-drive limit - Credit: Archant
A Suffolk man has admitted drink-driving in the wrong direction along the A14.
Peter Hollocks appeared at Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Thursday afternoon.
The 51-year-old, of Bell Meadow, Bury St Edmunds, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving with 95 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit being 35mcg.
Police were called at about 11pm on August 30 last year by several road users reporting a vehicle travelling westbound on the eastbound carriageway of the road between Woolpit and Rougham.
Prosecutor Wayne Ablett said roads police tore along the eastbound carriageway under blue lights in an effort to overtake other traffic and divert any danger of a head-on collision.
Officers were soon confronted by the headlights of a Ford Focus being driven in the fast lane, Mr Ablett told the court.
"They flashed their headlights to warn the Ford Focus, which flashed its headlights back," he added.
"Officers had little time to react, but drove head-on to block the vehicle's path – rather than allow it to continue going against oncoming traffic."
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As the Ford Focus slowed to a stop, the police driver blocked the road by positioning the vehicle at an angle across both lanes.
Hollocks was arrested at 12.11am and taken into custody, where he provided a positive evidential breath test about 20 minutes later.
The court heard he was handed a community order and banned from the road for two years after being convicted of drink-driving in June 2008.
Mr Ablett invited magistrates to commit the case to the crown court for sentencing and impose an interim driving disqualification.
Andrew Cleal, for Hollocks, made no representations in respect of venue for sentencing.
Magistrates released Hollocks on unconditional bail and imposed an interim disqualification until his sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court on a date to be confirmed.
