A local doctor has appeared before magistrates in Merthyr for drink driving after he crashed into a traffic island while over the limit.
Prosecuting, Mike Powell said the defendant admitted to police following his arrest that he’d consumed vodka at the “end of a stressful day at work”. He added, however, that he still believed he was OK to drive even though he hit the kerb twice.
The court heard that the father-of-two was travelling home when a member of the public reported the standard of his driving to police. A short while later witnesses saw him collide with the traffic island, bursting the tyre on his car.
A roadside breath test found him to have 96mcg alcohol per 100ml breath – almost three times the legal drink driving limit of 35mcg.
Mitigating for his client, Andrew Shanahan implored magistrates not to impose a community order.
“What has happened here is a build-up of incredibly stressful working conditions. We are all aware of what doctors and medics have been going through in the last 18 months. They not only have their normal work but also Covid work and have to organise their practice to comply with Covid laws. We have all seen the news about burnout and stress and the impact on working conditions for doctors.
“The ideal situation is for [my client] to get back into work and caring for people as soon as possible.”
The solicitor additionally advised the court that the doctor not only lived with his wife and two teenage children but also cared for his nearby parents of whom one has suffered a stroke and the other has dementia. There are no other relatives in the country to assist him.
District Judge Neale Thomas told him: “You had a significant amount of alcohol in your system, nearly three times the limit for driving. That must have been a fact known to you when you got behind the wheel. You knew you were a risk to other road users.
“You drove in such a poor state a member of the public informed the police. When the police found you your tyre was damaged and you accepted the collision with the street furniture. You have driven that distance badly under the influence of alcohol. It is fortunate police were able to apprehend you when they did.
“It was fundamentally a catastrophic error of judgement on your part to think you could drive that distance”.
“The normal starting point [for sentencing] would be a community order, but it seems there is no particular community sentence available to me today.
“In this case, I have to impose a band D fine, increased to reflect you should be on a community order”.
After pleading guilty to drink driving, Judge Neale ordered the doctor to pay a £2,000 fine plus £85 costs and a £190 surcharge, as well as banning him from driving for three 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.
