Drink-driver’s ‘get out of jail’ card

Billy Nolan on his way to court

A DRINK-DRIVER has been spared jail after pleading guilty to writing-off two parked cars and assaulting one of the owners.

Billy Nolan of Thompson Lane, Chadderton, was two and a half times over the limit when he drove his Vauxhall Astra into a parked Mercedes, which then crashed into a parked Peugeot.

When confronted by Darren Bates - the owner of one of the cars - Nolan (31) assaulted him.

Nolan left, failing to stop and give details.

Nolan received a four-month jail sentence suspended for two years.

Police went to Nolan’s home after th accident and found him stumbling to get in.

Defence solicitor Graham Whittingham said his client had been under a lot of pressure leading up to the event.

Magistrate Joe Farquhar said: “This is as bad a set of cases as we have seen in the court in a long while. We have suspended your sentence but this is a one time only get out of jail card. This behaviour will not be tolerated again.”

Nolan was also ordered to pay £360 costs, given a nine-month community order, disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to attend a programme to help control his anger.