Sunderland man faces driving ban after refusing to provide blood sample for drug test

Liam Hayes, 25, who later confessed it was insomnia drug temazepam, then kicked off and resisted arrest outside his home in Falkland Road, Ford Estate.

Hayes provided a zero reading breath test for alcohol but his strange behaviour in the early hours of Sunday, March 30, created suspicion he had taken drugs.

Officers also found the keys to a car registered to him and involved in the 2am chase in his pocket, though there was no proof he had been the driver.

Prosecutor Heather Black told magistrates in South Tyneside police had to take Hayes to the ground and arrest him, due to his unruly antics.

Once in custody, he refused to provide a blood sample, having been suspected of being the driver, to test if he had taken drugs.

He now faces a minimum three-year driving disqualification after pleading guilty to failing to provide a sample for analysis.

The high ban level is required due to him having a conviction for drink driving in 2022, within a two-strikes in 10-years period.

Hayes also admitted obstructing police during his arrest, but there was no charge in relation to the car chase.

Ms Black said: “Police saw a vehicle being driven dangerously. The officer was not pursuit trained.

“The vehicle was later found outside the defendant’s address. He approached officers about the vehicle.

“He was intoxicated, and he was then arrested for another offence, he resisted throughout.

“He was searched, and the car key was located inside his pocket. He made a remark that there were ‘no police behind me’.

“He provided a nil breath test but then refused to provide blood. The police had a reasonable suspicion that he had been driving.

“He did say that he had “taken a load of smack” in his own words. It was a deliberate refusal to provide.

“There’s no evidence that the defendant was the driver of that vehicle. The police had the suspicion that he was the driver.”

Hayes also has a conviction in April last year for failing to provide a sample for analysis while in charge of a vehicle, for which he was given 10 penalty points.

He later received a 12-month disqualification under totting, it was said.

Ritchie Rodger, defending, told the court: “It’s fairly strange behaviour on his part. The vehicle is registered to him but is not owned by him.

“Police say this vehicle was being driven erratically and was then parked in his street. He approached them and became embroiled in a dispute.

“He was not under the influence of alcohol but may have been under the influence of drugs. He does say he had taken temazepam. He had had a bad week.”

Magistrates adjourned the case for reports and imposed an interim driving ban.

Hayes will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, July 22.