A DRINK-DRIVER from York told police he was having the “worst day of his life” when he reversed into a patrol car and left an officer with whiplash injuries.

Paul Moehr, 36, of Moor Lane, Dringhouses, is now beginning a nine-month prison sentence after being chased by police through two North Yorkshire villages when they spotted him breaking the speed limit as he left Northallerton.

They pursued him along the A684 through Ainderby Steeple and Morton-on-Swale, but he failed to stop, despite the patrol car flashing its blue lights.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Moehr, who also failed to put on his headlights during the night-time chase, was three times over the legal drink-drive limit at the time and was said to be battling an alcohol problem.

Rebecca Smith, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, said Moehr drove through Leeming Bar and, at one point, veered into the opposite side of the carriageway, forcing another vehicle to swerve out of the way to avoid a crash.

He eventually stopped in Newton-le-Willows, but reversed into the police car which had been pursuing him and left the female driver with a whiplash injury to her right arm, shoulder and collarbone.

Moehr drove off again, before being arrested a short time later.

“When arrested, he said he had had the worst day of his life,” Miss Smith told the court.

“His sister’s partner had left her and Moehr had too much to drink.”

Dan Cordey, mitigating, said Moehr had only recently admitted he had a drink problem. Mr Cordey said: “He has a flaw in his character which means that when things are not going well, he resorts to alcohol.”

Moehr admitted dangerous driving, drink-driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance, on April 25. He has now been banned from the road for three years in addition to his jail term.

Sentencing him, Judge Michael Taylor told him it was “fortunate” that nobody had been injured.