A Durham travelling salesman has pleaded with Magistrates not to disqualify him from driving.
Andrew Robinson, 37, of Barrasford Road, Newton Hall, Durham, admitted a charge of driving with excess alcohol when he appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Friday, 15th October 2021.
Magistrates heard that the police received reports about the poor standard of Robinson's driving on the evening of Wednesday, 5th May 2021.
Prosecutor Lillian Yanes Hellevik, outlined the circumstances: "Due to these reports, police have gone looking for the driver. They found the vehicle pulled over in lay-by, but it pulled away.
"The officer headed to the owner's registered address in Durham but saw the vehicle pull into a bus-stop outside the Tap pub in Durham Road at Low Fell.
"He saw the defendant get out and cross the road and go into a Co-Op, and he then saw him come back and get into the driver's seat and put his seat belt on.
"The officer has pulled his vehicle in front of the defendant's. A roadside breath test was positive.
"The offence is aggravated by the defendant's unacceptable standard of driving which has ended with police stopping him after third-party reports."
At the police station Robinson provided an evidential specimen containing 89 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, which was two-and-a-half times the prescribed limit of 35 microgrammes.
John Campbell, mitigating, told the court that his client had gone out with work colleagues and drank some wine.
Mr Campbell said: "My understanding is that police have gone to Chester-le-Street to try to find him but have realised that he lives in Durham and that he couldn’t have got that far.
"He had been in Jesmond. They drive through Low Fell and see him. He has cooperated fully and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.
"What we have is a man who otherwise would not normally be in this predicament.
"On the day in question, he had had a trying day at work. He'd gone over to speak to friends and they were drinking wine.
"He wasn't pouring it, they were pouring it, and that's how he got caught up in that.
"He was a man who just had a bad day and made some bad decisions."
Robinson was fined £318 and ordered to pay £85 towards prosecution costs and £34 victim surcharge.
He was also disqualified from driving for 22 months.
Addressing the bench after sentencing, he pleaded: "I beg that you reconsider.
"Today is a huge opportunity for me to show that I'm very sorry and that one action that I did on that day is not where I am as a person.
"My job is that I'm a travelling salesman, I can't get people in to do it. I'm going to lose my job."
Of course it is unfortunate, particularly under current circumstances, that anyone might lose their job, but driving with excess alcohol attracts a mandatory period of disqualification.
Robinson knew he had the car outside and he knew he had consumed alcohol. He should have made alternative arrangements to get home, but thought he'd chance his luck and risk the 20 mile journey anyway.
That poor judgement is entirely his.
No comments:
Post a Comment