Blind British man sentenced for driving a stolen car 241 kilometres on motorway

A registered blind British man drove around 241 kilometres (150 miles) along one of Britain’s busiest motorways in the middle of the night, despite having no driving licence and being well over the drink-drive limit.

Anthony Hall, 50, from Huddersfield, set off for Scotland in his partner’s Vauxhall Meriva after drinking a considerable amount of wine. What makes the bizarre journey even more extraordinary is how Hall told police he managed to drive despite having been registered blind for around two years.

Following the lorry lights

Hall told officers that he could still see some blurry light and had followed the red rear lights of an HGV to guide him along the M6 in the UK. At one point, he overtook the lorry and had to look for another vehicle to use as his next marker.

Police stopped Hall north of Carlisle in the early hours of June 29 after an officer saw the Meriva drifting onto the hard shoulder and across the motorway. His roadside breath test recorded 50 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, while a later reading was 46 micrograms. The legal limit in England and Wales is 35 micrograms. He claims that he and his partner had drunk 4 bottles of wine together. Hall also admitted he had taken his partner’s car without permission and had never held a driving licence or had insurance of any kind.

During questioning, he said he wanted to get away from his home life and intended to reach Scotland following ongoing disagreements at home, including financial problems. Bizarrely, he even stopped to refuel during the extraordinary journey, with a petrol station employee helping him fill up.

A man “in crisis”

Hall pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink-driving, taking a vehicle without consent, driving without insurance and driving without a licence. His solicitor told the court that Hall had suffered a breakdown and was trying to escape problems at home and with his finances. She described him as “an individual in crisis” who had made a poor decision while in that crisis.

Remarkably, nobody was injured during the journey, despite the obvious risks posed by driving at night on a motorway while almost 100 per cent blind, without a licence and after drinking considerable alcohol.

Suspended prison sentence and bizarre addition

Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that Hall had no previous convictions. Magistrates said the custody threshold had been crossed but took his previous good character and personal circumstances into account.

Hall was sentenced to 36 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months. He must complete rehabilitation activities and was ordered to abstain from alcohol for 90 days and ordered to pay £272 in costs. But the most extraordinary part of this driving blind drunk, blind man’s sentence was that he was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.