Drink-driving dad says he was only over the limit so he could rescue his daughter from killer clowns
Daniel Hood told a court his terrified daughter called him as she was being terrorised by a gang of clowns
A DRINK-DRIVING dad told a court he was rescuing his daughter from "killer clowns" on her birthday when he was caught three times over the limit.
Daniel Hood claims he only got in the car after drinking because his daughter called him to say she was being terrorised by "these guys in clown outfits out frightening people".
The 40-year-old also claimed he only had one drink, and said medication he was taking must have pushed him over the limit.
Cops nabbed Hood when they saw his car roll back after he parked, catching their attention.
His solicitor Ian Whiteley said: "He received a call from his daughter who told him that there were these guys in clown outfits out frightening people.”
Hood, who has two previous drink-drive convictions, was due to stand trial but changed his plea and admitted driving while over the prescribed limit at Kirklees Magistrates' Court, Huddersfield, West Yorks.
The court heard Hood was arrested after he parked his Skoda in Halifax Old Road, Birkby, on October 15 last year - at the height of the killer clown craze.
Last week a teenager who wielded an axe at a pregnant woman while dressed as a clown for a 'prank' appeared in court.
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He pulled on the handbrake but this was not working properly and the vehicle rolled backwards.
This caught the attention of police already in the area and Hood was arrested, reports the .
Breath tests showed he had 110 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - more than three times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.
Hood's previous drink-driving convictions date from 2004 and 2007 and resulted in him being banned from driving for 16 months and then 36 months.
He was told at the latest hearing he now risks being sent to prison.
Mr Whiteley said it was Hood's daughter's birthday, so he had one drink and did not intend to drive that night.
But he then got a phone call from the terrified youngster and made the decision to go and collect her.
The incident happened when the so-called “killer clown” craze was in full swing across the country.
Young children and members of the public were left terrified by pranksters dressed in scary outfits.
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