Drink driver 'acted like he was the Incredible Hulk'

Wednesday 28 August 2019

A drunken man, who smashed his way into a woman's home "like the Incredible Hulk" before driving off in her car, has been fined £1,500 and stripped of his licence.

Jersey’s Magistrate’s Court was told Irishman Trevor Daniel Croke (49) and the woman had been out for a meal in town on Friday night (23 August), but that when they went back to her property she was worried he might turn violent and wouldn’t let him in.

Croke - who it was claimed had drunk around six pints - banged on her door and then, according to the woman, "burst through her window like the incredible hulk."

"In the heat of the moment he [then] got in her car when he shouldn’t have," his defence lawyer told the Court, adding that Croke then drove the black Mercedes back to his property in St Clement. He’d driven the car earlier in the day with her permission and had a set of keys.

The alarmed woman called the police and told them what had happened. When they went to his home, the car was parked outside, and its brakes and exhaust were warm to the touch.

Pictured: The car's brakes and exhaust were still warm when Police arrived at Croke's house.

Croke admitted driving the car whilst under the influence. However, he told officers he’d only had two pints, but that on returning home he had been drinking gin.

Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris told Croke there are five bands of drink driving, and that his was in the lowest - albeit near the top end of it.

His breath test found he had 47 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres.

Handing down his sentence, the Assistant Magistrate said that the law stated he would have to lose his licence.

Pictured: Croke was handed a fine and driving ban in the Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Croke was subsequently disqualified from driving for 12 months – the minimum period the law allows - and told that he would have to retake his test after this period.

He was reminded that if he was caught driving before then he could go to prison.

He was also fined £1,500, which will be paid in monthly instalments.