The head groundsman for a football club has appeared in court after police caught him drink driving at nearly six times the legal limit.
The 40-year-old was seen weaving in his lane on the M6 in a Mercedes Sprinter Van with the lights off.
Prosecuting, Ben Worthington said the defendant initially sped away from the police officer who attempted to pull him over at around 9.15pm on March 6. He finally stopped at Junction 14, near Stafford.
Roadside breath tests gave readings of 205mcg and 194mcg alcohol per 100ml breath. The legal drink driving limit is 35mcg.
Speaking in his defence, Mark Glendinning explained that his client had long suffered from alcoholism. The lockdowns had exacerbated his problems and he drank alcohol to “numb his brain”. The defendant’s doctor diagnosed him with adult ADHD.
Although due to the high readings he was expecting custody or suspended sentence, Mr Glendinning also explained that a jail term would result not only in the loss of his job but also club-provided accommodation.
He added that his client had been working with a Gloucester addiction service to reduce his drinking. By the morning of his sentencing he was teetotal and he had shown ” a considerable amount of remorse and a considerable amount of shame”.
The court also heard that the defendant had been convicted of drink driving in 2012. Witnesses saw him buying a bottle of wine from a garage before crashing into a gate as he drove away.
Judge Joanna Dickens jailed him for 14 weeks, saying: “This is an incredibly serious offence. It is the worst offence of drink driving I have ever seen. It’s the worst offence, the highest reading I have ever seen and I have been in this business for a very, very long period of time both as a lawyer and as a judge.”
Judge Dickens added that the reading was so high she feared the defendant might have died from alcohol poisoning. Aggravating factors leading to the custodial sentence included low speed, lack of lights, and the fact he tried to evade police.
The man, who pleaded guilty to drink driving at an earlier hearing, was also banned from driving for five years.
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.
