A 19-year-old from East Cowes who decided to drink-drive after realising he had left his bag in Ryde has been banned from the roads for 20 months.
Ben Gerrard, of Adelaide Grove, was found standing beside his upturned car by Police at just gone 04:00 on the morning of 4th December. Officers found Gerrard’s Fiat Punto upside down on The Racecourse after the vehicle collided with a lamppost, as previously reported by Island Echo.
The Isle of Wight Magistrates Court heard that Gerrard initially claimed to Police that he wasn’t the driver of the car at the time of the crash, merely a passenger. He was breathalysed anyway and gave a reading of 66 – the legal limit being 35. He was subsequently charged as he could not provide any details of the driver and was noted to be the registered keeper of the car.
Gerrard appeared before Magistrates on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to drink driving and driving otherwise in accordance with a licence.
Defending, Henry Farley said his client had been on a night out in Ryde and had caught the bus back home. However, he soon realised he had left his bag in Ryde which contained his NHS identity card. Concerned that someone could use the card to access St Mary’s Hospital, Gerrard took the decision to get in his car in a bid to locate the bag.
Mr Farley said that Gerrard was ashamed and remorseful and accepts he had done a stupid, dangerous thing.
There was no explanation as to why the vehicle was crashed on Racecourse – heading towards Newport.
The hospital kitchen porter was handed a 20-month driving disqualification, fined £250 and ordered to pay £85 costs with a £34 surcharge. His licence was also endorsed for driving otherwise in accordance with a licenc
