A Milford Haven bricklayer who reversed his car into a pedestrian on Neyland High Street was found to be almost three times over the legal drink-drive limit.
When police subsequently searched the Vauxhall Astra belonging to Thomas Beynon, they discovered a Ziplock bag containing a gramme of cocaine which had a street value of £80.
This week Beynon, 26, of James Street, Hakin, pleaded guilty to charges of assault by beating, drink-driving and of possessing cocaine, which is a class A controlled drug.
The offences took place on October 21 when the victim saw Beynon get into a vehicle which was parked on the High Street in Neyland.
Suspecting that he had been drinking, the woman walked towards the car to prevent him from driving off. But as she did so, Beynon started the car engine and reversed backwards by some three feet, colliding with the woman’s legs.
“She sustained bruising, ligament damage and minor swelling around her knee”, Crown Prosecutor Kelly Rivers told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.
A victim impact statement was read out to the court, which stated that the woman had suffered ‘extreme pain’ as a result of the collision.
“My main concern that day was to prevent him from drink-driving,” she said in her statement.
“Although my injuries were minor, they were extremely painful, and I had to have hospital treatment the following day. It’s not nice to be assaulted by someone when you are trying to help them.”
When police arrived at the scene, they carried out a roadside breath test on Beynon which proved positive.
A subsequent search of his car revealed his mobile phone, inside of which was a Ziplock bag containing cocaine valued at £80.
Further tests at the police custody suite confirmed that Beynon had been driving with 102 mcg of alcohol in his system. The legal limit is 35.
He was represented in court by Mr Michael Kelleher.
“My client had been out drinking, phoned for a taxi to get home and was waiting outside for it,” he said.
“ It was a bit chilly, so he went to get his hoodie and his housekey from the vehicle.
“But as a leant in, he knocked either the gear lever or the handbrake and the car rolled forward. He then started the car up and drove it backwards and as a result, the lady was slightly injured.”
Mr Kelleher went on to say that his client was ‘very surprised’ to learn that he had cocaine inside his mobile phone.
“He’d never taken it before in his life and was very surprised when the drug was found on him,” he said.
After considering the facts, magistrates sentenced Beynon to an 18-month community order during which he must carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
He was disqualified from driving for 25 months and must pay £100 compensation to the victim, a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs.
