Scared for his life, man drove car after drinking
FEARING he could be killed after seeing friends being violently attacked, Brian Kelly tried to drive away from the Happy Landings to escape.
He didn't make it out of the car park, but the 35-year-old was over the drink-drive limit and not insured to drive his friend's car, the Magistrate's Court heard.
Judge Philip Robey had some sympathy with his plight, although he rejected his plea that there were special reasons for him not to be banned.
He fined him a total of £150 and banned him from driving for a year.
The court heard of a violent incident in the pub next to the airport.
Some of Kelly's friends were being beaten up and he feared the same would happen to him if he did not get away.
The airport terminal's CCTV cameras were turned onto the pub car park and footage shown to the court of Kelly unsuccessfully trying to manoeuvre the car out of it.
A test showed he had 47 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of his breath.
The legal limit is 35.
Kelly, of 8, La Brigade Farm, La Brigade, St Andrew's, told the court, pictured, that he and three friends had been in the bar for about 15 minutes when he saw three or four men he did not know punching one of his friends. Others joined in the attack.
One of his friends was being kicked by four or five people as he lay on the ground and another had blood pouring from his face as he had been hit with a bottle.
A girl had told him to leave through a side door, which he did, and he decided to get in a friend's car.
