31 October 2024 , 07:10
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Shocking footage shows the moment a drink driver caused more than £38,000 worth of damage by crashing into the Prime Minister’s country residence.
Matthew Wootten, 44, was today jailed for 32 months after he deliberately steered towards Victory Gate at the entrance to the Chequers estate near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
The driver did not slow down and smashed through the 80-year-old oak gates to the property, which is given to the Prime Minister as their official country residence.
Wootten was nearly three times over the drink drive limit when he carried out the frightening act and found with several cans of alcohol inside his mangled white Volkswagen Scirocco.
The crash caused over £38,000 worth of damage to the 16th century estate and Wootten seriously injured himself.
The crash caused over £38,000 worth of damage to the 16th century estate and Wootten seriously injured himself
Wootten (pictured) was today jailed for 32 months after he deliberately steered towards Victory Gate at the entrance to the Chequers estate
At Reading Crown Court, Wootten was jailed after admitting dangerous driving, damaging property being reckless as to whether life is endangered, and driving a motor vehicle when alcohol level above limit.
It was heard he was found with a blood alcohol reading of 221 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.
Celia Mardon, a Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS Thames and Chiltern, said: ’CCTV footage showed that Wootten intentionally drove at speed towards the gates of the Chequers estate.
’The strength of this evidence, along with a significantly high alcohol blood reading, gave him little choice but to admit his guilt to the charges we authorised against him.
’Not only did Wootten cause significant damage to the Victory Gate, but he could also have put the lives of others at risk with his reckless driving.’
He was also handed a disqualification from driving for 40 months.
Wootten was nearly three times over the drink drive limit when he carried out the frightening act
CCTV footage showed that Wootten intentionally drove at speed towards the gates of the Chequers estate
The driver did not slow down and smashed through the 80-year-old oak gates to the property, which is given to the Prime Minister as their official country residence
Passerby Ian Longthorne was enjoying a day off visiting a friend who was showing him the entrance to the manor house when he stumbled across the crash.
’We’d gone for a walk and stopped at a nearby pub,’ the 54-year-old said.
’We saw an ambulance car, a fire engine and then an unmarked police car go past, but didn’t think much of it.
’We carried on with our walk and my friend showed me a public path that goes through Chequers where you can look back to the entrance.
’We could see the car and I took a couple of shots from there, before I left and took some from outside the front entrance.
’It’s always a shock to see a crash and this was one was quite an unusual one.’