A drunk driver who passed out behind the wheel at a red light told an off-duty police officer “get in, girl,” when she tapped on his window.
Christopher Quirk, 24, became aggressive and damaged the officer’s car when she smelled “intoxicating liquor” and took his keys from the ignition, Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard.
Quirk, of Beaversbrook Road, Norris Green, today pleaded guilty to criminal damage; failing to provide a specimen for analysis; driving without a licence and driving without insurance.
He also admitted failing to attend court for an earlier hearing.
The court heard the officer was driving down Islington in Liverpool City Centre in her personal car when she stopped at a red light behind a Vauxhall Astra on July 29.
When the light turned green the Astra did not move, prompting her to beep her horn.
Lionel Cope, prosecuting said: “The light had turned back to red, and the officer got out of her car and tapped on the window. The driver appeared to be asleep behind the wheel.
“The defendant failed to wake up so she tried the driver’s side handle to get his attention. At this point he awoke and wound down the window.
“She asked if he was alright, to which he replied: ‘Get in, girl’. The officer then noticed a strong smell of intoxicating liquor, and took his car keys out of the ignition.”
The court heard when she returned to her car to get her mobile phone, the driver got out of his vehicle and became increasingly aggressive, shouting “what are you doing?”
Mr Cope said: “While the officer was trying to call 999 he tried to take the car keys out of her hand causing damage to her thumb.”
Quirk then punched and kicked the car and caused damage to the driver’s side door.
An on-duty police officer arrived and he was arrested after a brief struggle.
Christopher Quirk, 24, of Beaversbrook Road, Norris Green.
Quirk refused to give a blood, breath or a urine sample after being taken to St Anne’s Police Station and no alcohol reading was taken.
Mr Cope said he received a 12 month prison term for criminal damage and affray in 2012.
The court heard Quirk failed to attend court at an earlier hearing and had been re-arrested and remanded in custody.
Alaric Walmsley, representing Quirk, said his client had been staying with his grandmother in Stoke while she recovered from heart bypass surgery and missed the court date.
He said Quirk had a “long history” of alcohol abuse and asked the court to adjourn for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the Probation Service.
He will now be sentenced on November 16.
Quirk’s partner, sat in the public gallery, gasped with relief as magistrates agreed to grant him conditional bail.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/