An Audi driver was driving whilst twice the legal limit. William Watson, 27, drove into a hedge and wrote off his car, ran away from the scene of the accident, then evaded arrest when he was spotted by police a short time later. He was also reported for a separate offence a few days earlier of texting while driving, having been seen doing so by a police officer.
The funny part was his defence lawyer’s plea in mitigation:
[Watson] was held in high regard by those who knew him and had behaved in a way which was out of character.
I must say that he chose a bloody good way to behave “out of character”. Most people would have just picked one of the things he did, but Watson went for all three.
It occurred to me that defence lawyers would be better off not bothering trying to provide mitigating circumstances anymore. For a start off, if someone is guilty as hell the sob stories just make them look even more foolish as the courts totally ignore any pleas for leniency. The only realistic chance you’ve got of getting off is if you’re pregnant (or if you claim that post-natal depression made you do it). And let’s be honest, men can’t really pull that stunt.