A Worcestershire cyclist was dragged along the road by a car being driven by a driver three times over the drink drive limit, a court has heard.
However the driver Martin Davis has been spared jail, instead being handed a suspended eight months prison sentence. He has also been banned from driving for 28 months.
Fabio Veracruz was cycling along City Walls Road in Worcester at 2am on September 5 this year when he spotted the erratic driving of Mr Davis, Worcester News reported.
Concerned that the 41-year-old was going to crash and was a danger to himself and other road users, Mr Veracruz knocked on the car window pleading for Mr Davis to bring the car to a halt.
His refusal to stop meant that Mr Veracruz opened the car door and attempted to apply the handbrake. Mr Davis, however, ignored the pleas and drove off.
The car was driven at a speed estimated to be more than 20mph with Mr Veracruz clinging onto the car with one hand on the roof and the other on the top of the door. Mr Davis eventually crashed the open car door into a post, and Mr Veracruz was struck by the closing door and sprayed with broken glass from the window.
Following the crash Mr Veracruz was able to remove the keys from the car and await the arrival of police.
Mr Davis – who admitted to not remembering the incident - accepted the charge of dangerous and drink driving, following a night out drinking with friends.
It was revealed that he had paid for parking overnight and had money for a taxi home but he chose to drive. A breath test revealed that he had 118mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, more than three times the permitted limit of 35mcg.
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The judge said that Mr Veracruz attempted to stop the car because Mr Davis was “obviously such a danger. He actually thought you had passed out behind the wheel of the car. In fact, you were extremely drunk and probably gave the same outward impression.”
As well as completing 180 hours of unpaid work, Mr Davis must pay £500 in compensation to Mr Veracruz, £340 costs and a victim surcharge of £900.
Judge Nicolas Cartwright said: “Mr Veracruz, thankfully, was not more seriously injured having done the public spirited thing and put himself at considerable risk to apprehend a dangerous driver.”
