Freddie Bowers of Windmill Corner, Mortimer Common, clashes with police following car crash

A MAN clashed with police following a car crash, angrily refusing a breath test.

Freddie Bowers, who lives at Windmill Corner, Mortimer Common, claimed officers had dragged him violently from a vehicle.

Helen Gambrill, prosecuting at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 3, said: “Mr Bowers knocked on the door of a member of the public saying he had crashed the car just down the road and it was in a ditch.

“A number of officers attended; the defendant was in the back of his car.”

At that point, 19-year-old Mr Bowers interjected: “That’s all a load of lies.”

Ms Gambrill continued, saying Mr Bowers was uncooperative with police and refused to exit the vehicle.

She added: “A sergeant had to manhandle him out of the car.”

At the police station, the court heard, Mr Bowers refused to provide a specimen of breath for analysis, became threatening and told officers: “F*** your mother.”

Mr Bowers, who has no previous convictions, admitted failing to provide a specimen at Lower Earley on Monday, January 6.

Adonis Daniel, defending, said his client pleaded guilty “through gritted teeth” and added that, following the accident, Mr Bowers was “sat in the back of his mother’s car, with his grandmother”.

He went on: “As he was getting out, the officer thought that wasn’t quick enough, dragged him out of the car and dragged him along the ground.

“He was upset and angry; his family offered to calm him down but the officer ignored them.

“At the police station he was understandably upset and angry; he would say he wasn’t driving.

“He doesn’t drink, anyway, so the test would have come back at zero.”

At this point Ms Gambrill interjected to tell the court that Mr Bowers had told officers: “I’ve been to a party – of course I’m drunk.”

Mr Daniel did not pursue the point but went on to say his client was extremely upset that the inevitable driving ban would render him unable to continue in work.

He added: “He worked hard to pay for driving lessons; his view was that he wasn’t driving so why should he have to provide a specimen?”

Mr Daniel said that, had Mr Bowers been given legal advice at the time, he would have been warned that a refusal to provide a specimen would nevertheless result in a ban, but conceded: “That’s with hindsight.

“Unfortunately, ignorance of the law is no defence.”

After retiring to confer, magistrates told Mr Bowers: “We understand you were angry and agitated and the evening didn’t go as you planned.”

They said his youth and lack of previous convictions were mitigating factors.

Mr Bowers was fined £120.

In addition, he was ordered to pay £85 costs.

Finally, Mr Bowers was banned from driving for 12 months.