UK comedian Alan Carr’s estranged husband Paul Drayton has been jailed for 14 weeks for “off the scale” drink-driving.
Drayton, who confirmed last week he and Carr were separating, pleaded guilty to hitting a police car while under the influence last year.
Judge Amanda Kelly told Brighton Magistrates’ Court the 50-year-old “diced with death” by driving drunk.
Police saw him “swerving from side to side” on a road in West Sussex, near his and Carr’s home, last October.
When officers signalled for him to pull over, Drayton reversed into the police car, narrowly missing a pedestrian.
The court heard the officers then breathalysed him and found his reading was “off the scale,” almost five times over the legal limit.
Drayton’s lawyer told the court Drayton was suffering a “perfect storm” of personal issues, the Daily Mail reported.
As well as battling alcoholism and mental health issues, he had suffered a brain injury after falling from a horse and was facing surgery to drain fluid from his skull.
“And the final straw, as is now well documented, his private life as well,” Dye said.
“His partner of some 13 or 14 years, that relationship has broken down, partly due to the problems Mr Drayton has with alcohol.”
The lawyer said Drayton is “absolutely petrified” of going to prison.
‘You were gambling with your life and the lives of others’
Judge Amanda Kelly sentenced Paul Drayton to 14 weeks in prison. She also banned him from driving for three years.
“I’ve heard about your battle with alcoholism, the breakdown of your marriage and the effect of lockdown on you,” she said.
“The sad reality is almost everybody comes into this room with lives that have been damaged in some way.”
She added, “Your driving was so impaired you were driving all over the road and you reversed into a police vehicle.
“You were dicing with death, gambling with your life but also gambling the lives of others.
“You could have easily killed or seriously injured someone’s child, partner, family or friend.”
Paul Drayton’s lawyers lodged an appeal against the sentence however the court denied him bail.
Alan Carr announces separation from Paul Drayton
Last week, Paul Drayton and Alan Carr announced they were separation.
“After 13 years as a couple and three years of marriage, Alan Carr and Paul Drayton would like to announce they are separating,” a spokesperson said.
“They have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go their separate ways.
“We request that their privacy is respected at this sensitive time.”
The couple spoke of Drayton’s struggles with alcoholism in the months before the split.
In December, after police arrested him, Drayton wrote on Instagram he’d checked into rehab.
“As part of my own journey, I proactively checked myself into a rehabilitation facility at the turn of the new year in order to get the help and support I need,” he wrote.
“These last couple of years have been challenging to say the least, as they have been for so many others.
“I remain deeply committed to my journey of sobriety and strength.”
Alan Carr and Paul Drayton got married by Adele in her back garden in Los Angeles in 2018 after a decade of dating.
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