Drunk driver with no license or insurance raced along Wigan roads chased by police

Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court heard that Robert William Atherton was involved in the chase in his black Mercedes through Ridyard Street, Logwood Avenue, Greenwood Avenue, Buchanan Road, Fraser Road, Laithwaite Road and Primrose Grove, in Wigan.

Atherton, 29, also admitted to charges of dangerous driving, drink driving, driving without insurance and driving without a licence, during the incident.

The court heard that Atherton was found to be over the legal drink-drive limit, having 135 milligrammes of alochol in 100 millilitres of blood.

Tess Kenyon, prosecuting, told Wigan justices that the pursuit on November 22 last year lasted for around a minute.

She said: “This involved dangerous driving lasting for one minute.

“It was a very short period of driving but it was at high speed through residential streets whilst he was in pursuit by an officer who had activated their emergency equipment.

“He was also over the legal limit for drink driving and had no insurance or licence“I would recommend that this matter is committed to crown court.”

Ms Kenyon told the court how the pursuit ended with a collision, and said that Atherton, of Haselbury Grove, Saltford, Bristol, had tried to make his escape by driving into a police vehicle.

Defending, Graham Simpson told the bench that his client had recently been diagnosed with “significant” mental health issues.

However he accepted that the matter had to be referred to crown court.

Justices agreed to send the case to Bolton Crown Court, where Atherton will appear on March 4.

Atherton has also been issued with an interim driving ban.

He was released on unconditional bail.