South Shields man drunk-drove to save life after town centre collapse

An ‘angel of mercy’ who drove while drunk in South Tyneside to potentially save a life has been spared a road ban.

Scott Hudson, 42, got behind the wheel believing he may have to take drive to hospital a friend who had collapsed and stopped breathing during a night out in South Shields town centre.

After moving his mum's courtesy MG motor a maximum of 200m to her side, Hudson jumped out and joined two passersby in administering CPR, distressing CCTV footage played to a court showed.

The woman fell ill while walking with Hudson, who had taken the car but intended to get a taxi home, from a bar at around 4.30am on Sunday, August 24.

Police arrived and took over the woman’s care ahead of paramedics racing her to hospital, but Hudson, of Russell Street, Jarrow, was breath tested, found over the limit – and charged.

He pleaded guilty

At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court in September, he pleaded guilty to drink driving, his reading for alcohol in breath being 56mcg, against the legal limit of 35mcg.

But his solicitor, David Forrester, argued his reason for driving was exceptional and he should not be disqualified - and called for a fact-finding Newton hearing to take place to paint a fairer picture.

Giving evidence at that special reasons hearing, Hudson, a carer, with no previous convictions, said he parked at the back of Fowler Street, intending to collect the car the next day.

He said he had bumped into the woman, a former work colleague and family friend, in the second of two bars, where she first collapsed.

Hudson intended to walk her to a taxi rank, but she again collapsed and “had stopped breathing” in Keppel Street.

Unable to dial 999 because his mobile phone had died, and with no cash to pay for a taxi, he told the court in his panicked state he felt his only option was to drive.

‘Only thing on my mind was getting her to hospital’

He said: “When I pulled up, she had stopped breathing fully. I put her in the recovery position and gave CPR.

“Two police officers turned up, and one took over the CPR. I went and sat on a wall.

“The only thing that I had on my mind was getting her to hospital, if she needed it, I had no other intention beyond that.”

Hudson said there were no taxis nearby and he believed he no other means of summoning help.

Summing up, Mr Forrester told magistrates they had to decide whether on the balance of probability special reasons, such as extenuating circumstances, applied.

He added: “The video is pretty traumatic. This wasn’t a drunk outside a nightclub - this was someone who is potentially fitting.

“Anybody decent is going to spring into action to see what they could do. He went to get his car and then he did CPR. He was an angel of mercy.”

Magistrates agreed it was an emergency situation and found special reasons for driving proven, saying a bystander would have expected Hudson to intervene.

They imposed no motoring penalty and granted him an absolute discharge.