A MOTORIST who abandoned his car after driving straight over a junction failed to provide a specimen to police.

Tony Miller was spotted by police driving his car near Barrow town centre and found to be more than double the legal limit for alcohol when tested at the roadside.

But South Cumbria Magistrates' Court heard the defendant failed to give an evidential sample to officers when taken to Barrow Police Station.

Miller, of Annan Street in Barrow, appeared in court on video link from prison, where he is on remand.

Prosecutor Lee Dacre said Miller was driving a Ford Focus during the incident happened on April 26.

He told the court: "PC Rogerson was on duty when he encountered a vehicle being driven on Willie Horne Way.

"The defendant went straight over the junction and onto Howard Street through onto Dundonald Street, where he abandoned the vehicle."

Mr Dacre said a roadside test showed Miller had 87 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, over the limit of 35.

 "He was taken to the police station where he refused to provide an evidential sample," Mr Dacre said

The court was told Miller had 30 previous offences on his record, including another of failing to provide a sample in 2010.

Miller had also been convicted of drug driving in 2020.

In mitigation, Michael Graham said: "Mr Miller says he had been driving the car to a friend's property in order to inflate a tyre.

"He had consumed alcohol the previous day and then slept in the morning.

"He was slightly surprised when the reading read as it did.

"He did cooperate with police with that roadside test.

"When he went to the station he did agree to provide a sample of breath and did use the intoxilyzer.

"The officer said there was no recorded reading of any breath, try again.

"It was time-barred and he ran out of time in that respect."

Senetncing Miller, chair of the bench Sharon Gillam said: "We've listened to everything that's been said to us.

"We find it a wilful refusal to provide this specimen."

Magistrates sentenced Miller to 14 days in prison for the offence and banned him from driving for 40 months.