A 63-year-old man from Newport who was seen glugging red wine behind the wheel before being stopped by Police has pleaded guilty to drink driving.
Kenneth Gilpin, 63, of Little London in Newport pleaded guilty to drink driving when he appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court last week (Friday 2nd June).
Liz Miller, prosecuting, told the court that on the morning of 19th May, at around lunchtime, Police received reports from concerned members of the public that a man was seen drinking a bottle of red wine behind the wheel of his car – a Suzuki Vitara – on Steephill Road in Shanklin.
After looking for the vehicle in question and searching the surrounding area, sometime later officers located the Gilpin on High Street in the town and pulled the vehicle over.
When questioned by officers once he had exited the car, Gilpin told officers he lost his dog.
The 63-year-old failed a roadside breath test before failing a further evidential test at Newport Police Station returning a reading of 121 – the legal limit is 35.
Defending, Amy Hosell told the court that her client suffers from stress and anxiety and on that day instead of completing his usual breathing exercises, he took to drink instead. She also added that Gilpin – who had recently attempted to go cold turkey but became very ill afterwards – had begun attending alcoholics anonymous.
Magistrates ordered the case be adjourned to allow a pre-sentence report be compiled. Gilpin was granted unconditional bail and will appear before the courts again on 11th July.
Instead of breathing exercises he drank a bottle of wine….
ohh no fooken dangerous..poor chap.
‘her client suffers from stress and anxiety’
How on earth is that offered as an excuse for drinking wine from a bottle whilst driving a car?
And, is it only magistrates who are taken in by this sort of defence of a person’s actions?
Why??? Stupid idiot! Hope he gets banned so he won’t be on the roads again, take a bus??
Bloody brainless idiot. You’d think he’d know better at his age. He suffers with stress and anxiety. This is no excuse and this should not be allowed to be used by his brief. He may well suffer with stress and anxiety, but if he were to kill or seriously mame an innocent person while driving his car over the DD limit, think of all the stress and anxiety he would put on the victims family! The judge should not be taken in or swayed by that old chestnut!
There is a guy in Ryde. A beaten up silver Panda. Always getting in car with booze. And the way he drivers I can well believe he’s pissed all the time. The car stinks of booze. Police do nothing when told.
Cllr who .. must have been Ribena then ?
So if he can’t stop drinking without being ‘ill’ how many times has he driven while intoxicated before? I’ve no sympathy. Get off the booze, stop making excuses and stop putting everyone at risk of being hit by you while you drive. This guy is an absolute menace to other road users and pedestrians.
Clearly a cry for help I’d imagine.