52-year-old Mark Derek Alston has been handed a 3-year driving ban after admitting drink driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.
It was on 6th September last year that a Ford Fiesta was spotted in the St John’s Road area of Ryde driving in a manner that led witnesses to believe the driver was drunk.
Police followed up on the report and went to the vehicle’s registered address in Brading, where they found Alston. He admitted to being the driver of the vehicle.
Officers breathalysed Mark and he blew 71, later blowing 52 on the evidential breathalyser at Newport Police Station.
Defending, Oscar Vincent said his client suffers from seizures and is in constant pain. On the day of the offence, he was under pressure and stress with worries about his elderly mother going into care. He is also said to suffer from long term depression and anxiety.
The court heard how the 52-year-old had previously been convicted of drug driving in 2017.
Mark Alston, of Mallfield Terrace in Brading, pleaded guilty to drink driving (52), driving without insurance, driving otherwise in accordance with a license. Magistrates handed down a 36-month driving disqualification and issued £280 in fines. He was also ordered to pay £100 costs with a £34 surcharge.
Alston also admitted possession of a Class B drug (cannabis) for which there was no separate penalty. The cannabis has been ordered to be destroyed.
If he does suffer from seizures; he should not be behind the wheel at all. He needs a much tougher outcome to show him the ‘error of his ways’ before he kills someone.
Good that this piece of filth is off the roads. He could have killed innocent motorists or peadestrians.
what makes you think he is off the roads? driving with no licence in the first place, it doesn’t mean it is going to happen again with a ban while banned from driving. the onlt way is for the DVLA to report to the Police as soon as they get notification of a car being registered to an unlicenced driver, and the Police to knock the door of an unlicenced driver, and checking for any vehicles around the property, and Joe Public being made aware if he borrows their car then it will be crushed on the spot.
I’ve been under a lot of stress as has most of the country with the pandemic and how that is affecting my work and health. I did not get drunk and drive without a licence. Very low using your mother as an excuse. Like a little child. Man up and take responsibility for your actions. He will be behind the wheel again putting our lives at risk because he only thinks of number one. Should be a special prison for drink drivers. Shipped off for 3 months if found driving under a ban. 3 Months of isolation to think about what you did. No media or internet. And shown all the information on what happens when they do eventually kill!
Excuse me Im sorry but he has no licence so how on earth banning him make any difference! He should have been jailed as he clearly is a person who does as he pleases and yet if he had crashed or caused harm to any law abiding member of the public the story could have been so much worse!
Please lets make the punishment fit the crime and not give a 3 year ban to someone who has no lisence anyway!
I am fed up reading excuses.
We are all under stress at present with the Pandemic etc
It does not mean we commit offences.
Solicitors fabricate the excuses – this bloke got caught the rest of the story is probably fantasy.