Boozed-up lotto lout Michael Carroll was caught driving four times the limit then urinated on his own car and collapsed on the road, a court heard today.
Carroll, 27, who squandered his £9.7m lottery winnings, was spotted driving his blue Citroen Picasso erratically through Downham Market, Norfolk at 6.50pm on Sunday August 1.
He was followed by a stunned motorist who watched him swerve across the road, bump into kerbs, indicate for no reason and ploughed straight over a roundabout.
When challenged Carroll, described in court as ‘sad and worn out’ yelled “do you know who I am” then chased the terrifed driver back through the town.
The blotto-lotto winner was pulled over by police and was so drunk he urinated against his own car the collapsed on the ground.
Breath tests revealed Carroll had 127mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – which is almost four times the legal drink the drive limit.
Heavily tattooed Carroll, dressed in jeans, a beige anorak top and a baseball cap, pleaded guilty to drink-driving at King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Prosecutor Gwen Wallace told the court an unnamed driver spotted Carroll’s blue Citroen Picasso swerving recklessly 6.50pm in Downham Market on Sunday August 1.
The driver called police and gave them the car’s licence plate then followed Carroll’s car until it came to a halt in a housing estate.
She said: ”The Picasso couldn’t keep in a straight line. The driver was aware he was being followed and took several turnings to lose them. The Picasso’s wheels locked up and hit a kerb.
“The witness went to window and said ‘son, I think you’ve had too much to drink’.
“The driver said ‘you’re not my f*cking dad do you know who I am? I’m taking off my seatbelt.'”
The terrfied motorist jumped in his car and fled and was chased by Carroll through Downham Market.
Carroll’s Citroen was just yards from the car’s bumper as they sped through the paceful town.
Carroll was caught when police dispatched from the town’s station to investigate reports of a drunk driver managed to block his car in and arrest him London Road, Downham Market, for drink-driving.
Ms Wallace said: “He could barely stand and smelt strongly of intoxicating liqeur. He was handcuffed to the front of the car and indicated he needed to urinate.
“He urinated against his own car and fell onto the ground.”
The court heard because Carroll had been caught drink driving in 2001 he faced an automatic driving ban.
Ian Graham, defending, said Carroll could not cope with life after scooping the lottery as a 19-year-old in 2002 yet regrets missing a ‘golden opportunity’.
He told the court Carroll had been subjected to violence, intimidation and threats against his children since he landed the jackpot.
He said: “He is someone who wished for the lottery win. He won it and it hasn’t improved his life. In fact it has made him worse.
“He’s a sad, tired and worn out man who hasn’t been able to cope and wants to go back to some semblance of normal life.
“The last eight years have been anything but normal.”
Jean Terrington, chairman of the bench, issued Carroll, of Downham Market, Norfolk, with an interim driving ban.
Sentencing was adjourned for probation reports until September 14 and Carroll was released on unconditional bail.
Mrs Terrington told the court she was considering a community punishment rather than custody.
In recent months Carroll has been living at his girlfriend Gemma’s house in Downham Market, and the couple have an 18-month-old daughter called Faye.
Carroll sold his trashed mansion, The Grange, in Downham Market, last Thursday for just £142,000 – making an estimated £600,000 loss.
He paid £340,000 for his five-bed home shelled out another £400,000 on an extension, pool, Jacuzzi and refurbishment.
Inside the mansion debris is strewn across the floor and kitchen units have been ripped from the filthy walls and yobs have graffitied ”Mikey joy rider from hell”.
Furniture dragged from the mansion has been dumped in the garden and the swimming pool is now a swamp filled with rubbish and windows have been smashed.
The skint lout had been living in a modest two bed semi after fleeing the mansion in 2004.
Friends said the former bin man plans to use a share of the house sale to buy Gemma a £10,000 car to chauffeur him around.
The rest will be spent on a family holiday to Spain and investing in an on-line betting company.
After being made bankrupt in February he had hoped to return to his old job as a £200-a-week bin man but did not get the job.
Carroll has been before the court dozens of times for anti-social behaviour since he was a teenager.
He was hit with a six month driving ban in 2004 after being caught on three occasions behind wheel without L plates.
In the same year Carroll was jailed for five months after failing to comply with a drug treatment order, imposed as part of a sentence for cocaine possession.
He was also handed an Asbo by magistrates in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, for catapulting ball bearings at cars and windows from his Mercedes, causing thousands of pounds of damage.
