Sussex Police Issue Video Of Drunk Driver

29 January 2015, 14:54 | Updated: 29 January 2015, 15:02

Police have released a video of a man who flipped his car over when he was over the limit claiming he was just turning it in the road in Fernhurst.

They were called after a member of the public found Christopher Squires sitting in a Volkswagen Polo that appeared to have rolled in a crash in Lickfold Road, Fernhurst, shortly before 2am on Christmas Eve.

But when officers arrived he denied that he had crashed the car - instead insisting the heavy damage had been caused on a previous occasion and that he was just turning the vehicle around.

The 28-year-old was more than twice the limit when he was arrested. Police say he then lied about who he was and criticised officers for breathalysing him.

Squires, of School Lane, Lodsworth, pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance when he appeared at Crawley Magistrates' Court on 6 January.

He was banned from driving for 20 months and ordered to pay a £320 fine, £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Watch footage of Squires being spoken to at the scene

Superintendent Jane Derrick said: "Squires made a series of ridiculous attempts to avoid justice.

"He claimed the damage to his car was old, when it clearly wasn't. He tried to use a fake name, which we were able to quickly prove was not his own.

"He did not have a full driving licence but said that we were wasting his time and taxpayers' money by arresting and questioning him.

"We will not tolerate drink-driving and the ban given by the magistrates shows they considered his offences to be serious as well."

A total of 40 people have so far been convicted after being arrested during Sussex Police's December crackdown on drink and drug-driving.