Man 'pretended to be a police officer while drunk'

A man who fitted flashing blue lights to his car and impersonated a police officer while he was over the drink drive limit has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Harrogate Magistrates' Court heard Jonathan Cook, 47, drove up to a woman on 13 February as she pulled her car onto her driveway in Silsden and, slurring his words, told her she had "bombed past" him at 72mph (115 km/h).

The woman was left shaken by the incident and called police, who later found Cook parked up and drunk, the court heard.

Cook, of Aireville Terrace, Silsden, pleaded guilty to falsely identifying himself as a police officer and drink driving and was given a 12-week suspended jail term and a 30-month driving ban.

Appearing in court on Thursday, he was also ordered to pay £239 costs and to complete a six-month alcohol rehabilitation programme.

The court heard that on the day of the incident, the woman targeted by Cook had driven from Keighley to Silsden and had just arrived home when Cook parked his car next to hers.

The prosecution said she could see there was a reflection of blue and red flashing lights as Cook waved at her to lower her window, before asking her: "What's the rush?"

The court heard that the woman told Cook she was unsure as to what he was referring, but he said: "You just bombed past me on the bypass and you were doing 72."

She laughed and, as Cook was slurring his words, she asked him: "Have you been drinking?"

The court was told that Cook replied: "I am a policeman."

When he was found in his car he was breathalysed and had a reading of 125 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit being 35.

Magistrates heard that Cook had a long history of alcohol abuse and had previously spent several weeks in a rehabilitation centre in Bradford.

Sentencing him, the magistrate told Cook that only a custodial sentence was justified in this case.

"This is a very serious matter. The reading was incredibly high and was aggravated by you impersonating a police officer.

"You caused fear to a member of the public as well. We do feel this matter is so serious that it does pass the custody threshold."

However, Cook was instead given a 12-week suspended sentence, with the magistrate saying he was mindful of the impact it would have on others.

He also told Cook he was confident that he could work on his further rehabilitation.

Additionally, the court issued an order for the lights and associated wires which had been in Cook's car to be destroyed.

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