A drink-driver who tried to run away from police in Tetbury in the early hours of the morning had to be tasered, a court heard yesterday.

Steven Fletcher, 34, of Woodlands Close, Bisley, pleaded guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates Court to driving with excess alcohol, resisting the police, driving without insurance and without a valid licence.

The offences were committed at around 2am on November 3, on New Church Street, Tetbury, the court was told.

Prosecuting lawyer Jessica Dobson said: “It was after 2am on a Sunday morning when police in a marked car noticed a Peugeot 307, with its headlights on, coming up behind them.

“The Peugeot stopped abruptly and then swerved into a parking space.”

The court heard that Fletcher got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side and refused to engage with the police.

“When officers tried to handcuff him he refused to relax his hands and he threw the car keys over a fence,” said the lawyer.

The defendant smelt of alcohol and was slurring his speech, magistrates heard. He then he tried to walk away.

“He was taken to the floor but he managed to get up and started to run away so police used a Taser to subdue him,” sad Ms Dobson.

Fletcher eventually told police that he had been at a party.

The magistrates heard that he had a previous drink-drive conviction in 2018.

A breath test revealed that he had 76 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 micrograms.

The case was adjourned until December 17 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared and Fletcher was granted unconditional bail.