Terrifying footage of a drunk driver repeatedly veering into oncoming traffic has been shown in court.
Stephen Jones was ‘so drunk he couldn’t stand’ when police caught up on the A32 in Wickham, Hampshire.
The 58-year-old had been seen driving wildly between lanes on April 30.
A concerned member of the public tailed his white van and recorded two minutes worth of his driving until police arrived.
In the footage, Jones can be seen drifting into oncoming traffic as other drivers desperately flash their lights and steer out of his way.
His white van only came to a stop after he smashed into the side of a motorcyclist.
Scott Lemon was thrown from his motorbike and, two months on from the incident, still has to use crutches.
He told Portsmouth Crown Court: ‘Sometimes the pain from my shoulder is so immense that I could pass out.
‘I’m normally a very positive person and active person but this incident has left me struggling to cope. I feel like I have been robbed of my normal life.
‘I’m really worried about my family because I’m self-employed and I cannot work.
‘When I think about the incident I get really angry that a selfish individual did this to me.’
Jones, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, stared at the floor as the footage of his dangerous driving was played to the court this week.
Oliver Kelham, prosecuting, told the court how the 58-year-old had been seen stumbling and could barely stand when police arrived.
He added: ‘[Jones] was noted to be slurring his words and smelt of alcohol.
‘He staggered and fell over as he was being taken back to the police vehicle. He needed to lean against the police vehicle throughout in order to stay upright.’
Tests revealed he had 120 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – almost four times the limit – following an afternoon boozing alone in a pub.
Mark Kessler, defending, said Jones had pleaded guilty to a count of dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of alcohol.
He said: ‘He accepts responsibility for what he has done and is sincerely remorseful and sorry for what has happened.
‘He has become socially isolated and without even really thinking about it he has descended into what amounted to a chronic alcohol problem.’
Sentencing, Judge David Melville QC said the footage was an ‘appalling film to watch’.
However, the judge refused to send Jones to prison, instead imposing a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.
He said: ‘The final event with the motorbike rider being struck and coming off his bike would cause anybody’s heart to stop.
‘It seems to me that despite this being an awful incident, to send you to prison for it is something that I can just about avoid.’
Jones was also ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and was disqualified from driving for two years.
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