A father-of-two has been jailed after a drink driving crash while he was already disqualified for a similar offence.
Prosecuting, Mohammed Zarandouz relayed the events of July 16 in Leicester: “At 3.35am, officers attended Nursery Road where there was a two-vehicle road traffic collision involving a Land Rover belonging to an innocent member of the public and a Ford Focus being driven by the defendant.”
A roadside breath test gave a positive result, with evidential samples revealing the man to have 86mcg alcohol per 100ml breath. The legal limit for drink driving is 35mcg.
Mr Zarandouz went on to tell Leicester Magistrates Court that the defendant had been banned from the roads on April 6 for failing to provide a specimen for analysis after he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. In addition to the 32-month driving ban, he was also handed a suspended prison sentence as it was his second such offence in 10 years.
Representing the defendant, Berinder Chawla explained: “He received a call from a friend advising him to come over and he went without thinking. All of his offending is alcohol-related.
“He tells me his life was changed by the coronavirus pandemic. He was drinking to distance himself from the stress, low mood and anxiety.
“He is a self-employed cheesemaker and the pandemic took a heavy toll on his business and he put in a lot of blood and sweat bringing the business back. He works seven days a week and business is slowly getting back on track.”
Mr Chawla continued to say that the defendant’s wife’s income alone would not allow her, along with their two and four-year-old children, to stay in the family home were he to be sent to jail. “If he lost his liberty, the business would certainly collapse,” he added.
Despite the solicitor’s plea, however, magistrates decided they had no choice but to impose an immediate custodial sentence.
Chair of the bench, Wendy Boneham, told him: “There was a passenger in your car. There was an accident. Prison really is the only option.”
The man was sentenced to four weeks in prison for breaching his suspended sentence and a concurrent eight-week term for his latest drink driving offence, of which he will serve half behind bars. He was also banned from driving for a further two years and ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge.
About Carl Millar
Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.
Carl has been a specialist in road traffic law for many years and represents clients from all walks of life and all over the Country. He is well known for the dogged defending of his clients and robust cross examination of police officers and exert witnesses.
With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.
Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535, or click here to send a confidential message.
