Drug driver 'fell in with wrong crowd' after move to Bolton

Bolton Crown Court heard how Scott Brickles was stopped by police when he was driving a VW Passat on Darwen Road, Bromley Cross, on May 18 last year at 8.20pm.

“The police thought he looked nervous,” said Kate Hammond, prosecuting, who said a roadside test proved positive and Brickles admitted he had used cocaine the previous evening.

He was released on bail but just weeks later, on June 30, he was drug driving again and tried to escape from police.

Scott Brickles

Miss Hammond said that, just after 1am, officers saw a Vauxhall Corsa on Moss Bank Way, Bolton and started to follow it.

“The defendant’s Corsa accelerated sharply in excess of the speed limit and the officers had to speed up quite considerably to catch up with it,” she said.

Fortunately, there were no other vehicles or pedestrians around during pursuit, which lasted just a minute, with the Corsa reaching speeds of up to 80mph.

Along narrow Tattersall Avenue, Johnson Fold, the car was travelling at 35mph and before crashing in nearby Chipping Road.

“It attempted to negotiate a left hand bend in the road and collided with a parked vehicle,” said Miss Hammond.

Brickles, aged 23, of Columbia Road, Bolton, tried to run off but was caught. Tests again revealed he had cocaine in his system.

Scott Brickles

He represented himself in court and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, drug driving and being in charge of a vehicle after taking drugs.

A probation service report about Brickles, who has no previous convictions, told how he had moved to Bolton.

“Regrettably you became involved with the wrong sort of people and that coincided with a relationship breaking down,” Judge Graeme Smith told him.

The court heard that the offending was out of character and Brickles has now moved back to Wales to be with his family.

He was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months and an electronically tagged 7pm to 7am curfew for two months.

Brickles must also participate in 20 days of rehabilitation activities and was banned from driving for 12 months after which he will have to take and extended retest.