Drink driver jailed after assaulting police officers

Carl Williams was stopped in Ormskirk

Author: Louisa KingPublished 8th Sep 2023

A drink-driver who assaulted two police officers after they stopped his car, has been jailed and banned from the roads.

On October 28 last year, police received two 999 calls, informing them that a man had ‘downed’ a bottle of vodka before driving his car.

PCs Sean Dalby and Paddy Stewart of Lancashire Police’s South Rural Taskforce team, saw the car on the A59 in Ormskirk and signalled for it to stop.

When they approached the car and asked the driver to turn off the engine, the driver Carl Williams began to drive off and collided with the two officers, causing minor injuries.

They managed to stop the car moving further and got Williams out of the car.

He was breathalised at the roadside and blew 74 – the limit is 35.

An empty vodka bottle and a small amount of Class A drugs were found in the car.

When he was taken to custody, Williams failed to provide a specimen of breath.

Williams was charged and bailed but on May 27 this year was stopped again by police in Burscough – he had been disqualified from driving and was again found to be above the alcohol limit for driving.

On September 1, Williams, 50, of Dawson Gardens, Liverpool, appeared before Preston Magistrates Court.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting an emergency worker, failing to provide a specimen for analysis, possession of a Class A drug, driving while disqualified and driving with excess alcohol.

The magistrates jailed Williams for a total of eight months.

Williams was disqualified from driving for four years, to start from the date he is released from custody.

PC Dalby said: “I hope Williams realises how differently this incident could have unfolded for my colleague and myself, and for himself.” Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.