Habitual felon to serve at least 7 years in prison

SALISBURY — A man authorities say had been avoiding his day in court for years will now serve at least seven years in prison.

Joseph Preston Bennett was sentenced as a habitual felon in Rowan County Superior Court this week, Rowan County District Attorney Brandy Cook said in a press release.

Bennett was convicted by a jury of felony habitual impaired driving and as a habitual felon. He was sentenced to a minimum of 82 months and a maximum of 108 months in prison.

The case is rooted in a June 10, 2001, incident.

Authorities say Bennett was stopped at a Rowan County Sheriff’s Office license checkpoint and admitted to a deputy that he was driving without a license. The deputy smelled alcohol and found an open container in the car.

Bennett told the deputy, “I know I am too drunk to be driving,” according to the press release. His blood-alcohol content was a .11.

Bennett failed to appear in Superior Court for several years and was eventually served in 2010 with his outstanding order for arrest for the felony habitual impaired driving offense. He was indicted as a habitual felon. Bennett was previously convicted of three separate counts of felony habitual impaired driving and felony sale of a controlled substance.

Cook’s press release said the case demonstrates her office’s “firm commitment in removing repeat offenders from our community.”

“Driving while impaired offenses are some of the most dangerous types of offenses since innocent drivers traveling on the same road as the impaired driver can be killed or seriously injured,” she said.