A DRINK-driver who caused a fuel spill after crashing his wife’s car into two trucks has been jailed for 16 months.

Thomas Scanlon, of Ruislip, West London, pleaded guilty to five driving offences on June 9 on the A40 near Forest Hill.

The 53-year-old admitted drink-driving, dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance and driving without a licence when he appeared at Oxford Crown Court.

Natalie Wood, prosecuting, said at about 9.30am Scanlon took his wife’s red Vauxhall Astra from outside their home and drove to Oxford, where he parked at the railway station and spent the day drinking.

She said the air conditioning engineer was driving home at about 7.30pm when he crashed into the back of a lorry parked in the Forest Hill lay-by, off the A40. The barrister told Judge Gordon Risius that Scanlon reversed into another lorry, causing a fuel spill which led to the road being closed for 12 hours.

Miss Wood said at this point another truck driver took the car keys away from the father-of-four and stayed with him until the police arrived.

Paul Harrison, defending, said his client had been a “functioning” alcoholic for years, but this was his first serious lapse since 1997.

Mr Harrison added that Scanlon had now spilt up with his wife of 30 years.

Jailing him, Judge Risius said it was a “miracle that no one was killed or seriously injured”. He also banned him for driving for four years and told him to pay a £100 victims’ surcharge.

Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS, SPORT and JAYDEN depending on what services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.