Jail for man who drove at 110mph drunk and in rain

Ex-estate agent’s motorway ‘madness’ after work night out

A former estate agent has been jailed for driving along the M20 at 110mph in driving rain when he was over the alcohol limit.

Rhys Fisher, 26, from Ashford, overtook a police car on the London-bound motorway at about 10.45pm in January, Sam Thomas, prosecuting, told Canterbury Crown Court.

The police car was driving at about 50mph because there was heavy rain and the road was very wet.

“Fisher overtook at high speed and then pulled into the left hand lane,” Mr Thomas said. “He then accelerated away from the officers. They pursued him and reached speeds up to 125 mph.”

Mr Thomas said the police caught up with Fisher when he left the M20 at Ashford and stopped at traffic lights. He gave a positive breath test and was arrested.

His reading was 56 millilitres of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

The police maintained Fisher drove at 125mph but he said he did not go above 110mph and the prosecution accepted that, Mr Thomas added.

Fisher, from Tunbridge Way, Singleton admitted driving dangerously and driving with excess alcohol. He was jailed for five months, banned from driving for three years, fined £500 and ordered to take an extended test before he can drive again.

John Dowlman, defending, said Fisher had no previous convictions and on the night of the offence had been out for dinner.

He drank beer with the meal and a cocktail afterwards before driving home on the M20.

“As soon as he saw the blue lights of the police car he pulled over,” Mr Dowlman said.

“He was driving far too fast but not erratically. He has worked since leaving school but has lost his job as an estate agent as a licence is essential.

“He is now working for his father as a labourer to keep up mortgage payments. His prospects are not good. He has messed up and he accepts it is his own fault. He struggles to understand why he did it.”

Judge James O’Mahony told fisher: “This was madness but a serious factor is that you deliberately disregarded the safety of other people using this road.

“You were driving a high performance car at high speed in drink. The police were driving at 50mph because of the road conditions and you were driving at 110mph. You were a huge danger to yourself and others.

“It doesn’t take long for someone to lose control of a car in these toxic conditions of speed and drink.”

Picture: iStock.com Rhys Fisher was clocked at 110mph while over the limit after a night out to dinner with colleagues