Sheffield Crown Court: Police release picture of motorist who was jailed after failing to provide a drink-drive breath sample

Sheffield Crown Court heard on October 19 how Terry Outram, aged 29, of Cooper Road, Kexbrough, Barnsley, was spotted driving badly and stopped by police who found him with a can of lager in his lap.

Aaron Dinnes, prosecuting, said Outram was seen by police swerving and driving close to vehicles and he was stopped on Doncaster Road, Barnsley, on Friday, August 13.

Mr Dinnes added: “He was seen sat in the driver’s seat with a can of lager in his lap. He smelled of alcohol and refused to provide a breath sample. He was described as heavily intoxicated and he was not making sense.”

Yorkshire Water employee Outram was taken into custody, according to Mr Dinnes, and he refused again to provide a drink-drive breath sample.

Mr Dinnes said: “It was a deliberate refusal. There was a high level of impairment based on the swerving and going through red lights and so forth and based on his presentation.”

Outram, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a breath specimen for analysis and the court heard he had subsequently breached a nine-month custodial sentence suspended for 18 months which had been imposed weeks earlier for other matters.

The defendant said he did not want to give a breath sample because he felt vulnerable due to concerns about his health.

He said: “I am in an extremely vulnerable category and I had cancer at the beginning of the year and I did not want to put anything in my mouth.

"I live in fear, Your Honour, that I am going to get ill.”

Outram added: “I should not have been driving. I keep having panic attacks, Your Honour, thinking about cancer and I was coming up for my first three-month check-up to make sure it has gone.

"The pressure was getting to me. Every day is a struggle. I am working with Weston Park Hospital to keep myself sane.

"My life at the minute has been flipped and I do apologise. I really apologise for not giving a sample that day.”

Mr Justice Richard Jacobs sentenced Outram to 11 months of custody and disqualified him from driving for 36 months.