A MAN who was three times the drink-drive limit was "very lucky" not to have killed two other road users he collided with, a court heard.

Stephen Edwards, of Cheshires Way in Saighton, Chester, appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentence on Thursday morning.

The 57-year-old had previously admitted offences of drink-driving and driving dangerously.

Thomas McLoughlin, prosecuting, began by playing CCTV footage to the court of an incident the defendant caused in Wepre Lane, Connah's Quay, on Sunday, June 11 this year.

In it, Edwards can be seen moving into the opposite lane in an attempt to overtake a car at around 10am.

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He was travelling significantly faster than the vehicle he was overtaking, and his manoeuvre put him in the wrong lane whilst a cyclist approached.

The cyclist Sarakshi Ariyan, managed to take evasive action and moved to a dropped kerb - but her bike was "completely ruined" when the defendant's car impacted the back of it.

"It was completely destroyed," Mr McLoughlin told the court.

The defendant also collided with the vehicle he was overtaking, driven by a man named David Shirt.

Significant damage was caused to the front right-hand side, with the wheel being 'sheared' completely off.

Mr Shirt received a bump to his head, believed to have happened when he hit the roof, and "felt so dazed and out of it" that he could not immediately comprehend what had happened.

Following the collision, Edwards carried on driving for a short distance but had to stop due to a flat tyre.

He did attempt to make off on foot however - but was apprehended by numerous members of the public and detained until police arrived.

Recorder Simon Mills interjected: "Subtly in this case, when you look at the arresting officers' statement, the defendant appears to have been claiming he drank alcohol since she collision, which I don't think can be possible in these circumstances.

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"There was the collision, the vehicle stops and he's immediately detained by members of the public - and there was no evidence of any alcoholic beverages in the vehicle."

Mr McLoughlin told the court the defendant was found to have 105 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - exactly three times the legal limit of 35.

Simon Parry, defending, conceded that the offences crossed the custody threshold "by a country mile."

He said: "It's a bad piece of driving in and of itself; trying to get through a gap and causing - fortunately - limited injuries and damage to the other vehicle and bicycle.

"On what is a single manoeuvre, he decides to overtake at speed in a built up area and can't make it.

"Clearly the alcohol has impaired his judgement and this is a classic case of driving the morning after.

"He'd been at a celebration the night before which continued into the early hours of the morning.

"The decision to drive this that amount of alcohol in his system is one he'll have to live with and one he bitterly regrets.

"This episode is entirely out of character for him and his mental health isn't good at the present time.

"Immediate custody would have an enormous impact on Mr Edwards; he has no idea what the inside of a prison is like."
Recorder Mills told the defendant: "Both of these other road users were behaving entirely appropriately, going about their business.

The Leader:

"You're really lucky you didn't kill either of them.

"And you made in my judgement what was a short-lived and hopeless attempt to leave the scene, claiming briefly that you'd had alcohol since the incident - but you didn't pursue that."

Edwards received a 14 month custodial sentence, but it was suspended for two years.

He must undertake 15 rehabilitation activity days and was banned from driving for three years.

"Don't ever come back again, Mr Edwards," the Judge told him.