Serial Chesterfield offender is banned from the road for nearly four years

Ian Anthony Watson, 32, of Chester Street, Chesterfield, had been stopped by police between Hope Street and Chester Street after they had received a tip-off about a possible drink-driver, according to a Chesterfield magistrates’ court hearing.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop told the hearing on October 23: “Officers were on patrol at 4.45am when there was a report of a potential drink-driver in a Fiat Punto and officers saw it driving to Chatsworth Road and stopped it on Hope Street.

“Officers ran over and he was in the driver’s seat with the rear end of the vehicle sticking out in the carriageway and he was arrested suspected of drink-driving and brought to a station.”

Disc jockey Watson told police he had been drinking beer and he accepted he had been driving without a licence and without insurance.

The defendant, who has a previous conviction for drink-driving, pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit after the incident on August 6.

He registered 87 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes, according to the court.

Watson also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and without a licence.

Here’s who has appeared before Chesterfield magistrates in our latest round-up from the courts

Defence solicitor Kirsty Sargent said Watson had gone to a friend’s house for a couple of drinks and fell asleep and later became concerned after his mum had said she had received contact from Watson’s ex-partner.

Watson became concerned about his child after his ex-partner and the youngster who were born in July, according to Miss Sargent, had needed to stay in hospital.

Miss Sargent said: “He said he was in a blind panic and he jumped in a friend’s vehicle and drove back to his mum’s house in less than half-a-mile and in hindsight he would have found another way.”

Watson also thought he would be under the drink-drive limit, according to Miss Sargent.

Miss Sargent said there was no accident involved and no suggestion of bad driving.

The defendant also admitted four further offences including driving with no insurance and no licence on April 12 and driving without insurance and without a licence on May 18.

Magistrates fined Watson £600 and ordered him to pay a £60 victim surcharge and £250 costs.

He was disqualified from driving for 45 months.