Man who drove wrong way on dual carriageway for fuel jailed

A civil servant has been jailed after he drove his Mercedes the wrong way up the A2 dual carriageway because he was low on fuel.

Police officers spotted Georgi Hristov making the dangerous manoeuvre in the early hours of May 2 last year.

His lawyer submitted he could be given a community order or a suspended sentence.

But jailing the 37- year- old father-of-two for eight months, a judge said: “There has to be a clear and consistent message that those who take a shortcut such as you decided to do, thereby endangering other road users, will be severely punished to deter others who might be tempted to do this sort of thing.”

Hristov was also banned from driving for 12 months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard officers saw Hristov with his hazard lights on as he drove against the traffic on the A2 at Dunkirk, from the direction of Canterbury, at 3.45am.

Prosecutor Antony Hook said Hristov was travelling around lorries illegally parked on the hard shoulder at a point where there had recently been a fatal accident.

Hristov was using the slip road to go to The Gate service station to get fuel.

He told the officers: “I know I shouldn’t have done it. I knew it was quiet. I didn’t want to drive around, so I thought I would drive back.”

Mr Hook said the distance covered in the illegal manoeuvre was less than half a mile.

“It was lucky he did not collide head-on, no doubt with fatal consequences,” he added.

Hristov, of Colonels Lane, Boughton-under-blean, admitted dangerous driving, the maximum sentence for which is two years’ imprisonment.

Judge Martin Joy said the facts of the case were “undoubtedly extremely serious”.

“There was a high risk of a fatal collision occurring,” he told Hristov. “You knew you couldn’t use the hard shoulder, so you are on the carriageway.

“I am told you were under stress at the time for reasons unconnected with the journey. Quite plainly, the offence is so serious that a non-custodial sentence cannot be justified.

“I have come to the conclusion it simply would be wrong to suspend the sentence of imprisonment.”

The Gate Services at Boughton near Faversham