‘Good Samaritan’ banned from driving for more than three years after helping friend

A man who went to help a friend in need ended up being charged with four different crimes. Ryan Jervis illegally took his mother’s car keys and, despite being over the limit and not having a full driver’s licence, drove to where his girlfriend was having a seizure.

The “aggressive” woman was in the back of a taxi parked in Home Farm Close in Beaumont Leys, Leicester, and Leicestershire Police and paramedics were at the scene trying to get her out of the vehicle. Jervis, 30, of Beaumont Leys Lane, arrived and managed to calm her friend down and get her out of the taxi.

But he was then seen by police getting into his mother’s car and driving away. Believing he was over the limit, they arrested him and he appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

READ MORE: ‘You could see the hate in his eyes’ – 18-year-old father-of-two scares kids at call center

Richard Holt, prosecuting, described the incident, which happened at around 11pm on Saturday, May 4. He said: “The ambulance service and the police were with an aggressive woman in the back of a taxi.

“The defendant arrived to help the woman, who was his friend. The police assisted him then he got into the driver’s seat of a Seat Leon and drove it around the corner.

“He was seen slurring his words and stumbling, so he was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit. It is a salutary lesson that no good deed goes unpunished.”

Jervis was taken to a police station where he blew 67 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath – the legal limit is 35 microgrammes. Police also discovered he only had a provisional license and no insurance. In addition, he had taken the car keys from his mother’s bedroom without consent.

Having already been convicted of drink-driving in the past decade, he faced an extended ban. At the last hearing, he pleaded guilty to taking a vehicle without consent, driving without a proper license and driving without third party insurance, as well as drink driving.

Steve Morris, representing Jervis, said: “He foolishly borrowed his mum’s car. He might have given her permission if she had asked him.

“He got his girlfriend out of the car when she was being difficult with the ambulance crew and the police and got her under control.” He said Jervis lived with his mother and was her carer.

Chairwoman of the bank Jane Morton-Humphries told Jervis: “Whilst we accept that you were a good Samaritan for this person who was in difficulty, unfortunately because this is a second drink-driving offense on which you have be disqualified for at least 36 months.”

She said they would ban him from driving for 38 months to reflect all other offences. He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 victim surcharge.