Drink-driving PC Daniel Preece jailed for lying about crash

Daniel Preece is a former Wales Youth rugby international

A police officer who crashed while drunk at the wheel has been jailed for claiming his brother had been driving.

PC Daniel Preece, 33, from Brynmawr, ran home after crashing his car on the A467 near Llanhilleth, Blaenau Gwent.

When police arrived at the Gwent Police officer's home, he claimed his younger brother Nathan had been driving - it emerged he was in Egypt at the time.

At Newport Crown Court, Preece admitted perverting the course of justice and was jailed for 24 weeks.

Judge Daniel Williams told him: "You must have known you were playing for high stakes. You were and you lost."

Preece, a former Wales Youth rugby international and prop forward with Cardiff, Newport, Pontypool and Bedwas rugby clubs, was on his way home from a match when he crashed last September. 

The father of three left the car in the middle of the road with the hazard lights on.

Preece was jailed at Newport Crown Court

Prosecutor Tony Trigg said: "Officers found documents in the Citroen belonging to Preece and the car was registered in his name."

He said when police arrived at his home, Preece was "obviously intoxicated". He gave a reading of 71mg per 100ml. The legal limit is 35mg.

Mr Trigg said: "Preece had made up an elaborate story that his brother had given him a lift home, but the whole thing unravelled and he admitted the offence in this court."

Andrew Kendall, defending, said his client had been struggling with work stress and the breakdown of his marriage, adding it had been "an incredibly stupid thing for him to do".

Preece has resigned from Gwent Police and was working for a civil engineering firm before being jailed.