Drink-driver's driveway crash led to house being evacuated

Sunday 25 April 2021

A property had to be evacuated after a drink-driving 25-year-old crashed into a parked car in a driveway, leading to gas and water pipes being ruptured.

Jake Floyd was driving home in the early hours of 5 December when he lost control on the Route Des Coutanchez and crashed into a car parked in a driveway.

Witnesses saw him standing by the car immediately afterwards, before he turned and walked away.

Pictured: Judge Graeme McKerrell was “perplexed” after learning that Floyd had left his keys with someone else during a night out before then deciding to drive.

All three emergency services were called to the scene, due to significant damage caused to the house and the parked car. A gas pipe was broken after the parked car was shunted up the driveway and storage for the neighbours' gas tanks was damaged too.

A broken water pipe led to some flooding and the occupants of the house had to be evacuated from the building while it was made safe.

Police Officers found Floyd around 400 metres from the scene and he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. Back at the Police Station he blew 73 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg. Floyd had previously been taken off the roads for a year in 2017 for dangerous driving.

In his defence, Advocate Paul Lockwood said Floyd had made a “stupid decision” and the consequences have been hanging over his head for a number of months, due to Guernsey’s second lockdown and delays getting to court.

Judge McKerrell said Floyd had made a “significant catalogue of unfortunate decisions” as he sentenced the 25-year-old to 140 hours community service, a three-year driving ban and a £1,000 fine for the damage caused.