A Kent barrister has been banned from the roads after driving home having drunk wine with friends.
Keith Yardy, 54, of Blacksmith Drive, Grove Green, Maidstone, admitted driving whilst the amount of alcohol in his breath exceeded the prescribed limit when he appeared at Maidstone Magistrates' Court last week.
This is an offence contrary to section 5(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which has a maximum penalty of 6 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine.
The lawyer, who was called to the Bar in 1988, was pulled over by police on the A20, Ashford Road, on the evening of Saturday, 25th January 2020.
He was arrested after failing a roadside breath test. A subsequent evidential breath test confirmed he had 77 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, which is just over twice the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.
Ben Wild, prosecuting, said: "Officers noticed the defendant's car driving over the speed limit, swerving across the road. He has no previous convictions and admitted he had been drinking alcohol to police."
Yardy told Magistrates that he had been driving in the manner described in order to avoid potholes in the road. He explained that he had went for a glass of wine after feeding his horses. Entirely by chance he met some friends, so the one glass of wine he had intended to drink turned into three glasses.
Representing himself, the lawyer told Magistrates: "This is the most stupid, irresponsible and inexplicable thing I have done in my life and I will continue to regret it for the rest of my life for many reasons.
"I only have myself to blame."
Commenting on the effects of the alcohol on his body, he added: "The fact that I only weigh eight stone is probably also an important contributing factor that I should have been alive to.
"Of course the only safe alcohol driving limit is zero. This was nobody's fault but mine.
"This is the most stupid, irresponsible and inexplicable thing I have done in my life and I will continue to regret it for the rest of my life for many reasons.
"I would never have got in the car had I thought that there was any chance that I was over the limit let alone with such a high reading which I found both shocking and horrifying."
The contrite barrister expressed his deep regret that his conviction signals the end of his ambition to become a Recorder or District Judge.
Disqualifying Yardy from driving for a period of 18 months, Jane Day, Presiding Justice, said: "We can clearly see you are deeply remorseful about what happened, and that you know the dangers of drink driving."
Yardy was ordered to pay £495 in fines and costs.
Magistrates' offered him the opportunity to complete a drink-drive rehabilitation course, successful completion of which will reduce his disqualification period by 18 weeks.
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