'How funny was that?' What drink-driver in a limo told police after 19-minute chase
Police chased a drink-driver in a limousine for almost 20 minutes before he got out and said: “How funny was that?”
Jonathan James Mitchell, 27, drove the limousine through Newtown town centre in Mid Wales on a Saturday evening, at times on the wrong side of the road and almost colliding with other vehicles.
He drove through the village of Kerry, before bringing the large vehicle to a standstill and saying to the police officer: "How funny was that? I’ll take this one.”
At Welshpool Magistrates Court yesterday Mitchell admitted charges of dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving without a licence, insurance, or a test certificate and driving above the drink-driving limit.
Mitchell gave a breath reading of 66 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35 microgrammes.
Prosecutor Helen Tench told the court on August 23, just before midnight, officers were driving behind a limousine that was swerving into the middle of the road on the A483 approaching Newtown. At one point the vehicle had to swerve back into its own carriageway. Police checked the vehicle and it had no insurance or MOT.
At the roundabout near Theatr Hafren, a marked police car followed the limousine into the area of Maesyrhandir, but the vehicle failed to stop. It travelled through a red light at three-way temporary traffic lights, before stopping at a level crossing to let three people out.
It pulled away again, travelling at 50mph in a 30mph zone, before entering the 20mph area at Plantation Lane, next to Newtown High School.
Mitchell, of Maesyrhandir later skidded around a corner by the Cambrian pub and went towards McDonald’s, before heading through red lights and on to Kerry. Between Kerry and Sarn he came to a halt.
The police officer took out his taser to approach the car, as he did not know how many occupants were in it.
The door opened, and Mitchell said: “Please don’t taser me. How funny was that? Bet you’ve never chased a limo before. I’ll take this one.”
Mrs Tench told the court the chase lasted 19 minutes.
Robert Hanratty, defending, said there was no evidence of vehicles coming the other way or excessive speed.
Magistrates declined to sentence, and referred the dangerous driving and drink drive charge to Mold Crown Court on October 26. For the other matters, he was given conditional discharge for 12 months.
