Red Bull driver jailed
Discussion
The makers of Red Bull always said their popular energy drink would give you wings.
But they could probably never have envisaged the effect it would have on 48-year-old Peter Edwards from Norfolk.
The King's Lynn man was jailed for four months yesterday after he slugged back a “staggering” 20 cans of the caffeine-rich drink and led police on a bizarre 50-mile car chase across Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.
Norfolk Crown Court heard that his Vauxhall Frontera was seen “swerving from side to side” across the A10 and at one point drove straight over a roundabout.
At Southery, near Downham Market, police drove in front of Edwards to slow him down but he simply veered out to overtake in front of a lorry.
He was finally stopped by officers at Swaffham who deployed a stinger device to puncture his wheels.
A leading expert on sleep deprivation and the effects of energy drinks last night expressed amazement at Edwards's caffeine intake.
Speaking after the case, Professor Jim Horne, of Loughborough University, said: “This was 10 times more than we would recommend.
“It is a rather extraordinary and unique case. It is reprehensible what he did. This was a massive amount of caffeine and it would have had an extraordinary effect on him.”
Prof Horne, who as professor of psychophysiology has studied sleep deprivation for 10 years, told the EDP one or two cans of Red Bull could be useful for staying awake but it was pointless drinking 20.
He described the incident as “bizarre” and claimed he would never even test the effects of so much caffeine on an individual.
Edwards, of Wallace Close, admitted dangerous driving on March 13 last year.
He reached speeds of up to 80mph during the chase as his car passed through Littleport, in Cambridge-shire, Wormegay, near Lynn, and then went back towards Swaffham.
At one point, officers described seeing Edwards taking off his shirt and driving semi-nude.
Malcolm Robins, prosecuting, said the car veered off the road when the stingers were deployed and ended up in a ditch. Edwards was later tested and found to be free of any alcohol or drugs.
David Bird, in mitigation, said the 48-year-old's mother had died of cancer just two weeks before the chase and Edwards had been suffering from severe depression.
He was also said to have had a history of mental illness.
“It was in the early hours of the morning,” he said.
“He had been drinking cans of Red Bull as he was ferrying members of his family to various parties during the night and had consumed the drink to stay awake.”
Judge Simon Barham banned Edwards from driving for four years and ordered him to take an extended test before he could drive again.
He said: “It will be a short sentence but it has to be custody because this driving was so serious everyone has to understand that whatever the mitigation, a person who behaves in this way will go to prison.”
Insp Paul Rush, of Western Area Road Policing, praised his officers after the case had finished.
“Over the course of more than an hour, Mr Edwards failed to stop for police - his driving was reckless,” he said.
“It's a credit to the police officers involved that this incident was brought to a safe conclusion with no one having been seriously injured.”
The makers of Red Bull were yesterday unavailable for comment.
But they could probably never have envisaged the effect it would have on 48-year-old Peter Edwards from Norfolk.
The King's Lynn man was jailed for four months yesterday after he slugged back a “staggering” 20 cans of the caffeine-rich drink and led police on a bizarre 50-mile car chase across Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.
Norfolk Crown Court heard that his Vauxhall Frontera was seen “swerving from side to side” across the A10 and at one point drove straight over a roundabout.
At Southery, near Downham Market, police drove in front of Edwards to slow him down but he simply veered out to overtake in front of a lorry.
He was finally stopped by officers at Swaffham who deployed a stinger device to puncture his wheels.
A leading expert on sleep deprivation and the effects of energy drinks last night expressed amazement at Edwards's caffeine intake.
Speaking after the case, Professor Jim Horne, of Loughborough University, said: “This was 10 times more than we would recommend.
“It is a rather extraordinary and unique case. It is reprehensible what he did. This was a massive amount of caffeine and it would have had an extraordinary effect on him.”
Prof Horne, who as professor of psychophysiology has studied sleep deprivation for 10 years, told the EDP one or two cans of Red Bull could be useful for staying awake but it was pointless drinking 20.
He described the incident as “bizarre” and claimed he would never even test the effects of so much caffeine on an individual.
Edwards, of Wallace Close, admitted dangerous driving on March 13 last year.
He reached speeds of up to 80mph during the chase as his car passed through Littleport, in Cambridge-shire, Wormegay, near Lynn, and then went back towards Swaffham.
At one point, officers described seeing Edwards taking off his shirt and driving semi-nude.
Malcolm Robins, prosecuting, said the car veered off the road when the stingers were deployed and ended up in a ditch. Edwards was later tested and found to be free of any alcohol or drugs.
David Bird, in mitigation, said the 48-year-old's mother had died of cancer just two weeks before the chase and Edwards had been suffering from severe depression.
He was also said to have had a history of mental illness.
“It was in the early hours of the morning,” he said.
“He had been drinking cans of Red Bull as he was ferrying members of his family to various parties during the night and had consumed the drink to stay awake.”
Judge Simon Barham banned Edwards from driving for four years and ordered him to take an extended test before he could drive again.
He said: “It will be a short sentence but it has to be custody because this driving was so serious everyone has to understand that whatever the mitigation, a person who behaves in this way will go to prison.”
Insp Paul Rush, of Western Area Road Policing, praised his officers after the case had finished.
“Over the course of more than an hour, Mr Edwards failed to stop for police - his driving was reckless,” he said.
“It's a credit to the police officers involved that this incident was brought to a safe conclusion with no one having been seriously injured.”
The makers of Red Bull were yesterday unavailable for comment.
I've tried that stuff and it has no effect on me that I can detect. But then I do drink coffee before dropping off to sleep... 
If I want to stay awake on the road, I set myself a mileage/ time deadline and drive like the clappers to achieve it.
But only on the Continent, of course...
If I want to stay awake on the road, I set myself a mileage/ time deadline and drive like the clappers to achieve it.
But only on the Continent, of course...
wedg1e said:
I've tried that stuff and it has no effect on me that I can detect. But then I do drink coffee before dropping off to sleep...
If I want to stay awake on the road, I set myself a mileage/ time deadline and drive like the clappers to achieve it.
But only on the Continent, of course...
It worked for me going to Le Mans last year. Circa 15hr drive through the night. Not clever, wouldn't think of ever doing it again.
up-the-dubs said:
I've tried that stuff and it has no effect on me that I can detect. But then I do drink coffee before dropping off to sleep...
If I want to stay awake on the road, I set myself a mileage/ time deadline and drive like the clappers to achieve it.
But only on the Continent, of course...
It worked for me going to Le Mans last year. Circa 15hr drive through the night. Not clever, wouldn't think of ever doing it again.
I did a Milton Keynes to Cannes (how elegant
) blast in 13 hours, was grateful to see the 500cl cans of energy drink over there. Saw some blokes down at Longleat this summer who were clearly out of their heads on the stuff - screaming around the place at well over the ton, dodging between the trees in the park and making a hell of a racket. Must have been at least ten of them, and I'll bet none of them had a valid tax disc either, and the amount of smoke they were chucking out would have given an MOT inspector a fit. Bloody hooligans.
>> Edited by eharding on Sunday 22 January 22:28
>> Edited by eharding on Sunday 22 January 22:28
up-the-dubs said:
I've tried that stuff and it has no effect on me that I can detect. But then I do drink coffee before dropping off to sleep...
If I want to stay awake on the road, I set myself a mileage/ time deadline and drive like the clappers to achieve it.
But only on the Continent, of course...
It worked for me going to Le Mans last year. Circa 15hr drive through the night. Not clever, wouldn't think of ever doing it again.
I once did Denmark-Germany-Holland-Belgium-France-Chunnel-Teesside. Ah no, make that twice.
Also drove for 10 hours with one pee-break to catch a ferry in Norway (made it with 15 mins to spare) - and that was after one hour in bed following an 18-hour day before it.
Man did I sleep on that boat
Have also driven Teesside to Burgundy with no sleep, and Teesside-Rouen-Teesside with only 3 hours kip on a boat. IIRC I was hallucinating coming back up the A1...
Longest runs on the UK mainland without ANY stop would have to be Inverness-Teesside (300 miles), St. Austell-Teesside (420 miles) and Gosport-Teesside (330 miles). Can you tell I jut want to get home?
Petrol_noggin said:
I've tried that stuff and it has no effect on me that I can detect. But then I do drink coffee before dropping off to sleep...
If I want to stay awake on the road, I set myself a mileage/ time deadline and drive like the clappers to achieve it.
But only on the Continent, of course...
It worked for me going to Le Mans last year. Circa 15hr drive through the night. Not clever, wouldn't think of ever doing it again.
I did a Milton Keynes to Cannes (how elegant
Last time I went to Cannes, I flew to Nice and got a hire car
In fact, we're planning on doing the same again this June...
eharding said:
Saw some blokes down at Longleat this summer who were clearly out of their heads on the stuff - screaming around the place at well over the ton, dodging between the trees in the park and making a hell of a racket. Must have been at least ten of them, and I'll bet none of them had a valid tax disc either.
>> Edited by eharding on Sunday 22 January 22:28
Were they all about 2' tall, hairy and naked? Did they sit on your bonnet playing with themselves? Are you sure you weren't on something as well?
off_again said:
Do a search and replace on "redbull" with "alcopop" or "vodka" or "canabis" or "heroin" and you get exactly the same story just different target of the day.
Bloke was a moron and did something stupid and will pay the penalty. Redbull just happened to be involved.
Exactly. Its picked up on because otherwise there is no real general interest story here. "Nutter fails to stop for police" isnt even worth repeating in a local rag, let alone national news.
I've drunk around 20 cans of redbull in the course of a night and hell yes I was buzzing slightly, but how is that relavent to his behaviour?
There are a lot of things that will deliver a bigger high than caffiene, as well as a lot faster ways to get caffiene into your system (pro plus anyone?) Its a mild stimulant, not a patch on speed, coke etc etc.
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