A man of Newlands Avenue, Newark was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court after drink-driving and dangerous driving on London Road, Retford

A drunk driver found himself on two wheels after crashing his car into a lamppost.

Jason Pride, of Newlands Avenue, Newark was three times over the limit when he decided to get behind the wheel.

Officers travelling through Retford in an unmarked police car spotted Pride’s Vauxhall Corsa.

The 34-year-old man hadn’t turned his lights on despite being nearly 1.30am. He was also struggling to drive in a straight line.

After turning their vehicle around, officers observed as Pride continued to swerve across the deserted road.

The drunk driver noticed the police car behind him and put his foot down along London Road – a 30mph zone.

Pride reached speeds of around 60mph, while continuing to weave in and out of the lane.

He misjudged a turn at a mini roundabout and crashed into a bollard, knocking over a lamppost.

His car was tilting on two wheels momentarily before he tried to run away but was soon detained by an officer who made him complete a breathalyser test.

He was charged with dangerous driving and drink-driving.

Pride pleaded guilty to both offences when he appeared for sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (December 22).

He was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 32 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Pride was also disqualified from driving for three years and will then have to retake his driving test at the end of this period.

Detective sergeant Charlotte Henson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Pride’s decision to get behind the wheel while drunk in the early hours of that morning was incredibly irresponsible.

“As well as forgetting to switch his lights on, he was also spotted by officers swerving across the road, which was thankfully deserted at the time.

“To make matters worse, his driving then became even more erratic, as he tried to speed away from the police, before eventually losing control and crashing into a lamppost.

“Drink-driving can severely impair drivers’ judgement and reaction times, which was clearly evidenced here by Pride’s decision to try and turn at speed in the seconds before the collision.

“His poor driving that morning was completely unacceptable and put everyone else in his near vicinity in danger, so we’re pleased to see he’s now been punished for his actions.”