Richard Raymond Williams appeared at Swansea Crown Court five years after first being arrested
A DRINK-DRIVER who careered along the M4 undertaking cars and cutting up other motorists before spectacularly crashing went on the run for five years before being tracked down working for the local council.
Richard Raymond Williams was nearly three-times the drink-drive limit when he menaced other motorists on the motorway between Port Talbot and Pontarddulais in September 2010.
He eventually lost control of his Ford Escort, the vehicle flipping end over end four times before finally coming to rest.
He was arrested at the scene and charged — but skipped court bail and disappeared for five years.
It wasn't until October his year that he was caught again.
Williams, of Ynys Fawr Avenue, Resolven, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and to driving with excess alcohol when he appeared via videolink at Swansea Crown Court.
Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said on the evening of September 24, 2010, Williams careered along the motorway tailgating cars, weaving in and out of traffic at speed, undertaking, and shouting and making hand gestures at other drivers. Mr Jones said that at one stage he undertook a car travelling in fast lane and slowed down in front of it, eventually stopping and bringing traffic to a standstill while he got out to confront the driver.
Williams then sped off but lost control near the Pontarddulais junction and crashed.
A subsequent breath test showed he had 99 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath — the legal limit being 35.
He was arrested and charged but failed to turn up at court.
Police spent the next two years looking for him but it wasn't until October that he was eventually caught when a PC stopped his car in the Neath Valley for no insurance.
The court heard the 41-year-old has three previous convictions for drink-driving — two of which involved colliding with other vehicles, one of which was being driven by an off-duty police officer — as well as convictions for driving while disqualified.
John Tarrant, in mitigation said his client accepted it had been an "appalling piece of driving" on the M4 but that a probation report showed he now lived "an unremarkable life" and worked for the local council's recycling team.
For the dangerous driving charge Williams was sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for 18 months, and was disqualified from driving for four years. For the drink-driving charge he was disqualified from driving for four years, the bans to run concurrently. Williams must also pay a contribution of £500 towards prosecution costs.
He has already served a 14 day sentence for the bail offence.
Read more: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/M4-drink-driver-run-years-working-local-council/story-28149012-detail/story.html#ixzz3rJVY3PFz
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