Army veteran Ikhman Pun refused to take a breath test

Witnesses stopped Ikhman Pun and took his car keys off him, said James Harrison, prosecuting at York Magistrates’ Court.

He appeared to have been drinking and fled into his house before officers could arrive, but the witnesses told police where he had gone.

He refused to take a breath test at the scene and after officers arrested him and took him to a police station, refused to take a breath test there, said Mr Harrison.

The 52-year-old army veteran has a previous conviction in 2008 for refusing to supply a breath test and was on court bail at the time for two charges of indecent exposure and one of using threatening words or behaviour to a woman.

Pun, of Rutland Close, Catterick Garrison, who followed proceedings with the aid of a Nepalese translator, pleaded guilty to failure to provide a sample of breath on April 15 and was banned from driving for 16 months.

York magistrates fined him £323 and ordered him to pay a £129 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

They heard their colleagues on April 16 gave Pun a 12-month community order including a tag forcing Pun to abstain from alcohol for 100 days and 20 days’ rehabilitative activities after hearing that the indecent exposures and threatening words and behaviour had been committed when Pun had been drinking.

Mr Harrison said several people called North Yorkshire Police on April 15 to say Pun’s Nissan had crashed into other vehicles. Four cars were involved in the collisions.

James Dixon, defending, said Pun had been trying to reverse out of his driveway. He had medical issues and worked in the security industry.