A Freshwater man who ‘foolishly’ decided to drive home after a visit to the pub has been handed a 12-month ban by Magistrates.
62-year-old Steven Summers, of Silcombe Lane, was found behind the wheel of his Ford Transit van on 4th May this year after Police caught sight of the vehicle on Tennyson Road, Freshwater.
The court heard last Friday that Summers – who appeared in front of the bench with mobility issues – had been invited to the pub by a friend and had full intentions to walk home.
Liz Miller, prosecuting, explained that Sergent Brown stopped Summers at just before 23:00 at night. He had 1 passenger in his van at the time. The forces veteran admitted to drinking and failed a roadside breath test, going on to blow 59 at the station – the legal limit being 35.
Defending, Michael McGoldrick detailed Summers’ health conditions including chronic arthritis, COPD, Asthma and swelling of the legs. In the same breath, he explained that his client had intended to walk home around half a mile after consuming 2 or 3 pints at the pub. However, when Summers went to his van he realised his walking aids were not there and made the foolish decision to drive home.
Summers pleaded guilty to a single charge of drink driving.
Magistrates handed down a 12-month driving ban, a £120 fine and ordered Summers to pay £50 costs with a £34 surcharge.
Enough money to by Alchol , but not for a taxi !
You drink you don’t drive !!!!!
Excuses, excuses, excuses! Not acceptable, why do people alway make stupid excuses? Don’t do the crime? Then no excuses. It’s getting tedious all the excuses people make for drink driving! Hope you learn your lesson at your age too should know better?
No excuses will ever make it right to drink and drive it’s simple unfortunately it’s the emergency services that have to deal with the mess left behind by the stupid people that think it’s ok the drink and drive
He probably walked half a mile round the pub that evening going to the toilet and walking back to the bar then walking back out to his van all without his stick.
Why do you need a defence? You are either under or over the limit.
Isn’t it amazing that the Police “happened” to be in just the right place and at the right time. If I didn’t know better then I suggest that they knew he was going to drink and drive as somebody had told them.
good the more drink drivers off the road the better if you see someone do the decent thing and call the police.
I honestly think that people who offer such pathetic excuses for their wrongdoings should be slapped with another fine for Contempt of Court.
Typical bs from a defending council. The people who come up with these feeble excuses are as bad as the criminals in my book. Why would you want to try and defend a drink driver, even if they are “entitled” to a defence?