A painter and decorator is to be sentenced after his dangerous driving saw him swerving into the wrong lane and almost hitting a bus.

Ian Parkinson, of Nant Mawr Road in Buckley, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court for trial on Tuesday.

The 48-year-old admitted drink driving and dangerous driving, on January 5 this year.

He was found to have 56 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit being 35.

READ MORE: Large scale emergency response after child falls down embankment in Ruabon

Andrew Sinker, prosecuting, told the court that at around 7.30pm on the day of the offence, a member of the public had spotted Parkinson driving an Audi TT near Broughton Retail Park. 

At the start, he was driving at 20 miles per hour in a 40 zone, which struck the member of the public as "odd."

Parkinson then straddled both lanes and accelerated from 20 to 60 - still in the 40 zone - before swerving onto the wrong side of the road and back.

His bad driving continued, with him going back to straddling the white line and oncoming cars flashing him to get him to move, but he didn't.

Many of the oncoming vehicles had to swerve out of the way and when coming around a long sweeping bend, he almost hit an Arriva bus before moving back to his lane at the last moment.

After veering close to a pavement, inches away from a woman with a dog, he was followed by the member of the public to a cul-de-sac in Buckley where he was confronted.

READ MORE: Care worker lost job after police caught her drink driving, court told

Asked what he thought he was doing, Parkinson asked: "What do you mean?"

He claimed he hadn't driven since the previous day, but it was pointed out to him he was sitting in the driver's seat of his car and had been witnessed driving.

After the exchange, he set off again at speed and was apprehended by the police at his home.

Gary Harvey, defending, said his client had claimed to have experienced mechanical problems with the vehicle.

He claimed to have been distracted when trying to get the car to work properly.

Mr Harvey asked the court to adjourn the sentencing in order for a pre-sentence report to be completed.

Ceri Hughes, Chair of the Magistrates, imposed an interim driving ban on the defendant ahead of his sentencing hearing - which will take place on October 12 in Wrexham.

 

Make sure you don't miss the top court stories of the week by signing up to our free court newsletter

The Leader: