April 19, 201016 yr Father banned from driving for three years after getting behind the wheel of a toy Barbie car while drunk By Andrew Levy Last updated at 5:29 PM on 19th April 2010 Comments (139) Add to My Stories As a means of transportation it left something to be desired in terms of comfort and street cred. And when police asked the driver to pull over, the electric Barbie car was also hopeless as a getaway vehicle. Owner Paul Hutton, 40, is now regretting the decision to hop in the 4mph child's toy to pop over to a friend's house after he was arrested for drink driving. He admitted he was a 'complete twit' today after he was banned from driving and given a 12-month conditional discharge by magistrates. 'Complete twit': Paul Hutton, pictured carrying the steering wheel and seat of the children's toy he drove while drunk, has been banned from driving for three years The 6ft-tall father-of four - who said an adult needs to 'be a contortionist to get in' - said: 'I'm not unhappy with my punishment, just a little surprised. 'I think it perhaps needn't have gone to court. Possibly the police arrested me to have something to talk about to the grandchildren.' Mr Hutton, a divorcee from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, is a former RAF aeronautical engineer who now studies electric engineering at Colchester Institute. He took the pink Barbie car home after finding it abandoned ten years ago and has been tinkering with it ever since. Modifications to the 4ft by 2ft vehicle include adding larger wheels and changing the colour to white. About eight months ago he started stripping it down and rebuilding it with his eldest son Simon, 17, who is doing a car mechanics course. Mr Hutton had been having a few drinks while working on the car on April 4 when on impulse he decided to take it out and show it to a friend who lives 500 yards away. Police pulled up alongside him when they spotted him at 9pm with his knees tucked up under his chin in the vehicle, which is designed for three to five-year-olds and runs on a 12v battery. Toy vehicle: Mr Hutton was caught drunk at the wheel of this electric Barbie car 'The police car came up alongside me and the officer said "Are you all right there, mate?"' he said. 'When I tried to talk I realised how drunk I was. A lot of burble came out. 'There was a dispute at first between the officers on the phone as to what the legalities of it were. Then they decided I was to be done for drink driving. 'I was taken to Clacton police station and breathalysed. Then I was taken to the cells. I was released at about 5.30am. 'I really didn't realise I should be doing it. I knew it was daft but I didn't realise it was a criminal thing to do.' Mr Hutton admitted drink-driving on Friday after magistrates in Colchester heard he had 89mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, more than twice the 35mg limit. He was given a mandatory three-year ban because he had received another drink-drive ban within the previous ten years. He must also pay £85 costs. Chairman of the bench Neil Munson said: 'This is most unusual. I have never seen the like of it in 15 years on the bench. 'The vehicle is not even capable of doing the speed of a mobility scooter and could be outrun by a pedestrian.' Essex Police today said officers initially warned Mr Hutton not to drive the car but they arrested him when he ignored them and tried to make a very slow getaway. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1267136/Father-banned-driving-getting-wheel-toy-Barbie-car-drunk.html#ixzz0lZQy2mzb
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