A drunk driver who knocked a cyclist from his bike and drove off without checking on the rider was caught after a motorist who witnessed what had happened followed him home and alerted police.
Gordon Salt, 71, was three time over the drink-driving limit as he drove to his home in Salford after watching football in the pub, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Manchester Magistrates’ Court was told by Eileen Rogers, prosecuting, that Salt had told police he had needed to swerve to avoid another vehicle that had pulled out, but claimed he did not believe he had hit the bike rider.
“The defendant said he only clipped the cyclist and didn’t think he had knocked him off so he continued as he didn’t think the cyclist was injured,” she said.
“One witness saw the red car didn’t stop after colliding with the cyclist. The gentleman stopped to ensure the cyclist was OK and then followed the car.”
The motorist who followed Salt home said that he was “slurring his words” as well as “smelling strongly of intoxicants.”
Police subsequently breathalysed him and he was found to have 112 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath – three times over the legal limit of 12 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres.
Salt pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was banned from driving for four months as well as being handed a three-month curfew from 7am to 7pm and being told to pay a £115 victim surcharge.
Speaking in mitigation, Matthew Wallace told the court that his client recognised he had a drinking problem and plans to seek help for it.
No details were reported of the cyclist involved in the incident.