Drunk driver, 26, took police on pursuit along Wolverhampton city centre streets
The incident attracted the attention of a number of members of the public who argued with the officers
A repeat drunk driver took pursuing police on a chase round the streets of Wolverhampton city centre when he ignored a red light.
Twenty-six-year-old Nathaniel Osbourne, of Wednesfield, pleaded guilty to an offence of driving with excess alcohol in namely Fold Street whilst unfit to drive through drink on September 20.
He also pleaded guilty to an offence of failing to stop on being required to do so by a constable in uniform relating to the same incident.
Sentencing him at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on Wednesday, District Judge Tessa Hinder praised the defendant for pointing out to court staff that he had a previous conviction for a similar offence in June 2025.
Ms Hinder told him: “I give you full credit for your guilty pleas. I take into account that the court had overlooked your previous conviction for drink driving. Having said that your behaviour at the scene was not appropriate.
“Considering what happened you could have been charged with more offences, but you weren’t.”
Iszabell Hodoroaba, prosecuting, said Osbourne came the officers’ attention after the BMW he was driving was parked in the middle of the road off North Street and they asked for it to be moved, so they could pass.
“He was hesitant to re-enter the vehicle. They followed him to Queen’s Square where they observed him driving through a red light to North Street then to Darlington Street. They put on blue lights to try to stop him. He was only going at 25 mph.
“He was swerving and made a right turn into Waterloo Road. They chased him on blue lights and he stopped abruptly, got out and as the officers approached he walked off. They could see he was unsteady on his feet. He then started running down Waterloo Road and they lost sight of him initially, but managed to apprehend him.”
She said the incident attracted the attention of a number of members of the public who argued with the officers and Osbourne, unemployed, was taken into custody. His breath test measured 57 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
In mitigation Nigel Ford said the defendant of Harper Avenue, Wednesfield, accepted that he would be disqualified from driving as it was his second offence. He added that information about his first drink and drive conviction was missing from the case paperwork and that his client should be commended for his honesty.
“If you do it again your two convictions is something that could land you in prison. I’m not offering you a drink driving course because you were offered it previously and it didn’t work,” the judge added.
For the latest offences Osbourne was banned from the road for three years, fined £180, ordered to pay costs £85 and victims’ surcharge £72.