County Durham man banned from driving after taking dog for walk from car

Mar 2 2010 by Liz Hands, The Journal

A LAZY pet owner has been banned from the roads after using his car to walk his dog.

Paul Railton, 23, was spotted by police last December as he was driving his Nissan Navara while holding on to a dog lead. The driver’s window was open and a brown lurcher was facing oncoming traffic, trotting alongside the car on Stoneyheap Lane in Consett.

At Consett Magistrates’ Court yesterday Railton, of Leeholme Court, Annfield Plain, County Durham, admitted not being in proper control of a vehicle, telling the court that “a lot of people exercise their dogs in that manner”.

The court heard that three police officers had followed Railton after a tip-off from a cyclist saying they’d seen two men dragging a dog along the road by a lead.

Sharon Lowrie, prosecuting, told the court that officers stopped Railton as he was driving along the narrow road.

Railton was told to put the dog in the back of the car and was allowed to go but five days later police turned up at his home to charge him.

A police statement read out to the court said: “I explained the dangers to the other road users and that he was not in full control of the car. Due to the narrow road there was no area for other cars to pass.”

But Paul Donoghue, defending, claimed police were persecuting his client, who last year was involved in an attempted murder trial which collapsed because of the way police handled the case.

He said: “He accepts it was a silly thing to do and there was an element of laziness. He does not usually drive in a such a manner.

“He is often under surveillance, often followed. He is always aware that at some stage, day or night, he could be being watched by police. One of the officers was in CID. That officer had not long been part of the case against Mr Railton that had collapsed in spectacular fashion at the crown court.”

Last July Railton was one of five people that stood trial in connection with the shooting of Joe Clarke in December 2007. Mr Clarke was shot in the back in Fairways, Consett, and survived the attack.

But the cases against Railton, three men and one woman were thrown out when deputy high court judge Sir Geoffrey Grigson criticised police for their behaviour in the investigation.

Durham officers eavesdropped on a conversation between Mr Donoghue, who was acting on behalf of some of the suspects at the time. It was ruled their actions breached legal professional privilege of the defendants.

Consett magistrates yesterday fined Railton £66 and put three points on his licence. Under the totting up rules he was disqualified from driving for six months.

After the hearing, Railton said: “It is a joke. I’m not bothered. I knew I’d get three points. I might save myself some money not having a car.”