the times | Saturday December 18 2021 35
News
Over-the-limit judge didn’t
know he had been drinking
A crown court judge was caught almost
four times over the drink-drive limit
after crashing his car on the way to walk
his dog, a court was told.
James Dawson, 65, mounted the kerb
in his Mini Cooper before hitting the
back of a parked car in Bromley, south-
east London, in May this year.
The other driver took the keys from
Dawson, who sat as a recorder in
Croydon and Inner London crown
courts and was a barrister at 2 Hare
Court. He was arrested after he re-
turned from walking his dog.
Dawson was previously found guilty
of driving his Mini Cooper with 137mcg
of alcohol in his breath, following a trial
in his absence. The legal limit is 35mcg.
At Westminster magistrates’ court
the Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan
Ikram accepted that Dawson had Wer-
nicke’s syndrome — a neurological
condition, which meant he did not
know he had drunk alcohol.
“Someone cynical might find that
difficult to accept but I am referred to
all the surrounding circumstances, in-
cluding your own behaviour on the
day,” he said. “You thought you were
walking your dog in the morning when
in fact you were walking your dog in the
evening.”
Christopher Foulkes, for the defence,
highlighted medical reports outlining
his client’s “cognitive impairment and
chronic memory impairment”.
Jonathan Laidlaw QC, Dawson’s
head of chambers, told the court that
they had been friends and colleagues
for 35 years. He said Dawson was retir-
ing from working as a recorder and
would not practise as a barrister again.
“Professionally, he observed the
highest of standards. He is old-fash-
ioned in terms of his approach,” he said.
“It is horrifying to hear what has
happened to him in recent months, and
the idea he was driving a car with a
breath at this sort of level is extraordi-
nary to me... James would never have
driven drunk.”
Dawson was given a four-month
community order, including an 8pm to
6am curfew, was banned from driving
for three years, and ordered to pay £870
in court costs and other charges.The planned expansion includes the creation of Pinewood Studio Experience, giving visitors an insight into film-makingThe studio that produced hits such as
Oliver Twist, Alien and the Bond film
Casino Royale has moved closer to
creating a visitor centre showing how
blockbusters are made.
Pinewood Studios’ plans for a large
expansion have been approved by
councillors in Buckinghamshire. The
development could provide a signifi-
cant boost to the booming British film
industry and create up to 3,500 jobs.
Outline planning permission for the
expansion, over 77 acres directly south
of the present studios, includes devel-
oping a 350,000 sq ft attraction called
Pinewood Studio Experience along
with six new sound stages to open in
2024, a skills and training hub and a
business growth centre.
Visitors will be given an insight into
the making of films at the studios and
the chance to see the sets and props.
The tours will be run on similar lines to
those that have proved popular at the
Universal Studios centres in California
and Florida.
The centre is intended to be an
“international visitor attraction” that
will feature “rotating exhibitions” and
attractions that will allow fans to
“glimpse the experience of film-
making”, documents state.
Pinewood Group said the
expansion would lead to a £500
million investment, which would
be a “boost to the UK economy”
and create what will be called
Screen Hub UK, increasing the
capacity to provide a location
for film productions in the UK.
The studios, based in Iver
Heath, have provided a produc-
tion setting for films from the
Star Wars and Marvel fran-
chises to the Carry On series,
along with many TV series,
Take a tour of
Pinewood as big
plans approved
adverts and music videos for more than
80 years.
Pinewood has operated for 85 years
and already has the 007 Stage, a further
23 stages, three TV studios and an
underwater stage. Disney currently has
a long-term deal occupying almost all
of the studio space.
The training centre proposed as part
of the expansion will be run by the
National Film and Television School,
whose main campus is already located
in nearby Beaconsfield, the studios said.
After Buckinghamshire council’s
planning committee voted in favour of
granting the outline planning permis-
sion, Paul Golding, chairman of Pine-
wood Group, said: “The decision allows
us to continue our ongoing investment
in the studios and support for the UK
film and television industries.
“Importantly, we now have the op-
portunity of creating a world-class
training centre and film-inspired visi-
tor attraction, bringing considerable
benefits to the community of Bucking-
hamshire and the UK economy.”
Final approval will be granted once a
fully detailed proposal for the develop-
ment is approved.
Within the development plans, the
studio said it had outlined a scheme to
enhance the ecology and biodiversity
of the surrounding area.
The council has opened a new
consultancy office to assist film
companies wanting to work in the
county. In October a new film
officer role was advertised,
with the aim being to
bring someone in to
oversee the consultancy
project.
Last month Shepper-
ton Studios, in Surrey,
leased to Netflix and
part of the Pinewood
Group, revealed plans
to double the size of its
production hub as part
of its overall expansion
plans.Ross Kaniuk
Daniel Craig played
James Bond on the
007 Pinewood stage