An old age pensioner, who has held a clean driving licence for 55 years, has been banned from driving after care home staff alerted Police to him drinking alcohol from a hip flask.
Dennis Sinfield, 73, of Youngwoods Way in Alverstone Garden Village, found himself in court on Tuesday morning charged with drink driving.
The court heard from prosecutor Rhys Evans that it was on 27th April this year, at 13:00 in the afternoon, that care home staff alerted Police to Sinfield’s drinking whilst visiting his wife.
Police responded to the area and witnessed the 73-year-old pull out of the care home on The Broadway in Sandown. Sinfield was subsequently pulled over and provided a positive breathalyser reading.
He later blew 47 at custody.
Henry Farley, defending, said that his client had held a clean licence since 1967 and would not have driven if he thought he was over the limit. Mr Farley explained that Sinfield’s partner of 39 years requested some alcohol in the care home, then insisted he shared some of it with her.
Mr Farley explained the financial strain the pensioner is under with £1,250-a-week care home costs on a £700 a month income. He also noted the remote location where he lives.
Magistrates recognised that it was a sad case, but banned Sinfield from driving for the minimum of 12 months. They went outside their guidelines and issued a fine of £50 with a £34 surcharge – no costs.
May as well be a death sentence, can’t live on the Isle of Wight without a car. Who cares if they’re an alcoholic, or to old to see the road.
We need cars
Ridiculous comment
I think its called sarcasm?
Agreed :$!
Sad case for once and likely only once a fair sentence
Many years ago The council ran a bus service from Alverston Garden Village to Sandown. I know as I used to drive it. WIGHTBUS is long gone and lots of people over the age of 60 have to drive as they have no choose. Its just a comment
Not enough public transport on the island that’s reliable and affordable anyway. We live in westwight and have the wonderful FYT bus service available to us. Sandown council I’m sure could come up with a similar idea
and help out the ever increasing older population on the island? I feel very sorry for this man and his wife who probably won’t receive the regular visits she no doubt looks forward to but the law is the law and drink driving is NEVER acceptable.
No excuses? No matter how old you are? Could of hurt or killed somebody?
Doesn’t matter how old you are, don’t do it could of hurt or killed somebody. Or wrote an innocent persons car off??
Blame the wife, she wouldn’t take No for an answer lol.
IDIOT!!!
Care home a joke , they happy to take his money each week . A quick word could of done not ringing the police, bunch of jobsworths poor bloke and his wife
You wouldn’t say that if he had killed / or seriously injured someone !!!!!!!.
Drink / drug driving is never acceptable…..
So he will have to accept the consequences….
Well done to the care staff for showing due diligence….
Taxi’s from now on …
If the care home cared then they would have stopped him driving the first place.Instead they called the police and let him drive off.
Ridiculous remark, he is old enough to know right from wrong so dont go blaming it on the care staff, they done the right thing in calling it in and i am glad he is off our roads before he either killed himself or somebody else with his selfish actions.
That will teach him,not to drink & drive,well done to the care home staff for being observent & reporting him.Theres no excuse what he did
But you can be in possession of 85Ks worth of cannabis on the island and no action is taken. Strange that, Eh?
She was probably the judge or magistrate’s supplier…
Why didn’t the careers stop him from driving and take him home rather than let him lose his license?
if his wife insisted he jumped off a cliff would he do it?
Probably, I know I would.