A SUFFOLK man has been jailed for six months after refusing to take a breath test and giving police the slip when he was arrested.

Neil Puffett

A SUFFOLK man has been jailed for six months after refusing to take a breath test and giving police the slip when he was arrested.

Mark Ahchoon, 23, of Smith Walk, Bury St Edmunds, tried to get off the hook the following day by contacting police and claiming the Honda Civic he was driving had actually been stolen.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that the attempted con failed when police recognised him from the night before.

The lie also fell down on the fact that Ahchoon's girlfriend was in the car with him when he was pulled over.

Godfried Duah, prosecuting, said Ahchoon was pulled over by police after being spotted speeding near Bury St Edmunds on March 3.

“They smelt alcohol on his breath and he admitted to drinking alcohol prior to driving,” Mr Duah said.

“They asked him to provide a breath specimen but he refused.

“The officers decided to arrest him but he resisted and when one of them grabbed him by the arm he took the officer's handcuffs and ran away.”

The next day police received a call from Ahchoon saying his car had been taken the previous night, however the officers who attempted to arrest him identified him as the driver with ease.

Ahchoon pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen, theft of the handcuffs and escape from lawful custody.

The court heard he had a string of previous convictions including taking a car without consent in 2003, fraudulent use of a tax disc in 2005 and being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs in 2006.

He also received a suspended sentence for failing to provide a specimen following an incident in April 2008 and was on bail for that offence when he was pulled over on March 3.

Matthew Gowen, mitigating, said his client had a clear problem with alcohol - he admitted to drinking four cans of beer a night and around 20 pints each weekend.

“He seems to have come to terms with that particular difficulty,” Mr Gowen said.

“What shines through is he understands the predicament he's in and wishes to have some long-term and specialised intervention to rid himself of that difficulty.”

Judge Neil McKittrick sentenced Ahchoon to six months in jail for escaping arrest and a three-month concurrent sentence for failing to provide a specimen.

No separate penalty was handed down for the theft of the handcuffs and he was disqualified from driving for two years.

Judge McKittrick said Ahchoon's attempt to evade justice was “ridiculous”.

“Not even on a bad day were the police going to be taken in by something as ridiculous as that, especially as your girlfriend was in the vehicle too.”