A former Yorkshire Evening Post journalist is making the headlines for the wrong reasons after being caught drink driving for the second time in five years.
Timothy Zillessen, 61, of Malham Moor, admitted driving whilst over the prescribed limit during a hearing at Skipton Magistrates' Court earlier today.
Police attended the village of Malham on 21st July 2019 after a concerned member of the public reported a suspected drink driver.
Officers located Zillessen and noticed that his eyes were glazed and he smelt of alcohol. Suspecting him of being behind the wheel whilst under the influence of alcohol, they required him to take a roadside breath test.
Having failed the roadside breath test Zillessen was arrested and an evidential specimen of breath was obtained at the police station. The evidential breathalyser recorded that Zillessen had 59 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 microgrammes.
Martin Butterworth, prosecuting, said Zillessen had a previous drink driving conviction in 2017, for which he received a year's ban. He also has a previous conviction for failing to provide a specimen for analysis, but more than 10 years ago.
Zillessen, who now works as a British Army press officer, told the court that he had worked for the army for 22 years. During that time he had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
He asked Magistrates to adjourn sentencing, so that he could find alternative accommodation closer to his work at Catterick Garrison.
"Quite where this leaves my career with the army, I don't know," he said.
Magistrates declined Zillessen's request and proceeded to sentence.
He was disqualified from driving for 3 years, fined £500, ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and £50 victim surcharge.
Malham is a very small village, with a population of well under 300. It is a place with very little crime and ordinarily very little police presence. It would appear that Zillessen thought he could chance "one for the road" before jumping into his vehicle for the 5 minute journey home.
Unfortunately for him, in circumstances eerily reminiscent of his 2017 conviction, a community minded member of the public has tipped off the police that he was unfit to drive. You would really think, given his previous experience, he would understand that he should not be drinking any alcohol at all if he intends to drive.
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