Saturday, June 16, 2007

Naked man led 20 police on countryside chase

A naked man led 20 police officers on a two hour chase across rugged countryside after he was caught drink-driving, a court was told.

As well as admitting the alcohol offence Martin Michael Marlow of Martinfield Road, Penwortham, near Preston, also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance, damaging a pair of police handcuffs, obstructing an officer, assaulting a Woman Police Constable and committing a public order offence arising after he threw railway ballast at an officer.

Elaine Hobson, prosecuting, said police were alerted to a drink driver on the evening of Sunday, June 10.and Marlow and his Seat car were spotted at around 8pm by PC Stuart Hannaford, parked in a lay-by.

PC Hannaford arrested and handcuffed him, placing him in a police vehicle, but before it had travelled far it had to stop because the defendant had begun to remove the cuffs, said Miss Hobson.

Although a disabling spray and electronic baton were used on him they had little effect and Marlow, whose shirt was ripped off in the struggle, ran off across a railway track towards Looe, Cornwall.

A total of 20 officers, police dogs and the force helicopter then began a search for him and he was eventually seen, totally naked, in a field.

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