Drink-driver had never passed his test

Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court heard that as well as being over the legal limit, Kyle Atkinson had no licence or insurance.

The court heard that the 26-year-old had been asked by police to take a diversion as he approached a road traffic collision on Hilda Street, Leigh on Friday November 15.

He then started to reverse in the Ford Fiesta that he was driving but ended up smashing into a van.

Tess Kenyon, prosecuting, told the court that police had asked him to stop but Atkinson then drove off on Wigan Road.

He did, however, then quickly think better of what he had just done and came clean.

She said: “Moments later, he approached two other officers and admitted that he had been drinking and driving and abandoned his vehicle.

“He was then arrested and taken to the police station where he admitted drinking and that he had hit another vehicle.”

When breathalysed by police he was found to have 61 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol.

Atkinson, who is from Leigh but now lives in Sandpiper Close, Farnworth, pleaded guilty to drink-driving and driving without insurance.

Defending, Ged Frazer told the justices that Atkinson, had “felt like a complete fool” after what he had done.

He said: “Since what happened, he has left the area and moved to Bolton.

“He has got a girlfriend and they have had a baby together and he is in work as a groundworker.

“He regrets what happened and what was a moment of madness.”

The court also heard that, despite driving for years, Atkinson had never passed a driving test.

He also had a previous drink-driving offence back in 2014 where he was handed a community order and a 22-month driving ban.

Justices banned Atkinson from driving for 40 months and fined him £300 for the drink-driving offence.

The bench did not give him the option of taking a drink-driving course.

Atkinson was also fined £300 for driving without insurance, and was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and a victim surcharge of £32.

He did not face a separate charge of driving without a licence.