Cleveland Police officer drove wrong way on A66 slip road while twice the limit

Paul Webster, 38, drove his car the wrong way down a slip road onto the A66 in Middlesbrough before he was blocked-in by a police car.

Webster, who has since resigned from the force, reversed his Vauxhall Corsa up the sliproad and the police driver brought him to a stop by pushing him into a crash barrier, Teesside Crown Court was told.

He was breathtested and he gave a reading of 85 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath, twice the limit which is 35, said prosecutor Paul Newcombe.

Guitarist Webster had been playing a gig at the Liquor Vaults in Middlesbrough when the police driver on the A66 spotted him at 11.55pm driving the wrong way down the Hartington interchange slip road.

Mr Newcombe told the court Webster said he had drunk just one glass of alcohol after his gig, bought for him by a friend and he thought he was suitable to drive.

He accepted that his driving was well below the standard demanded.

Kelleigh Lodge, defending, said he was horrified when he realised that he had gone the wrong way way down the slip road. He thought that the police driver was coming off the A66 to go to an incident.

He was devastated at the consequences which had led him to resign from Cleveland Police.

It had caused a rift with his partner and in his shame he had sought medical help and from an organisation to tackle his personal problems.

She said that he was very fearful of the case, it was his first conviction and he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Webster was a PCSO for 13 years and he received a police commendation for his work with young people before he became a police officer, said the judge.

Judge Stephen Ashurst said: “I take the view in this case that your public downfall extends to a very considerable punishment.

“You have learned a very hard lesson as a result of the decision you took to drive.”

Webster, of Parklands Avenue, Billingham, was given a 12-month community order with attendance on a group impaired driver’s course, 20-days rehabilitation requirements, and disqualified for 18 months and until he passes an extended driving course with £80 court costs after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on December 17.

The court heard he faces sentence at Teesside Magistrates’ Court for driving with excess alcohol.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said Webster resigned in January and as he is no longer a serving officer they would not comment further.