25 pints.........

[CarlMetro]

................almost four times over the legal drink-drive limit, second time he's been convicted of the same offence within ten years and yet he gets a three month jail sentence, suspended for two years and another five year ban.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/6724293.stm

A motorist who admitted to police he had drunk up to 25 pints of lager before getting behind the wheel of his car has been spared a prison term.
Stuart Walker could not stand unaided and was unable to give a breathalyser test when police found him in a lay-by.

Walker, 60, of Ashbury Close, Cambridge, admitted driving while over the limit.

He was given a three-month jail term, suspended for two years, and was banned from driving for five years.

Magistrate Elizabeth Cox told the crane operator: "This is totally unacceptable and very dangerous behaviour.

"This could have had very serious consequences not just for yourself but for other members of the public."

Walker, who was also convicted of drink-driving in 1998, had driven his Peugeot to the Woolpack pub in the village of Sawston and then drove home after his marathon drinking session on 14 May.

He pulled into a lay-by on the A1301 Sawston bypass to phone his son, but a passing police car pulled in and officers smelled alcohol on Walker's breath, the court heard.

A breath test later found he was nearly four times over the legal limit with 131 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal level for driving is 35 micrograms.

Interviewed the following day, Walker told officers he had drunk between 20 and 25 pints and could not remember leaving the pub just after 2200 BST

[Mark]

He was given a three-month jail term, suspended for two years, and was banned from driving for five years

Were it not for the fact that the jail term is suspended, I would think it to be an appropriate sentance.

What they do need to crack down hard on is those drivers who are found driving while disqualified, you should automatically end up in jail for that IMO.

[CarlMetro]

Anything more than twice over the limit on a first offence should hold a mandatory 4 year ban plus a retest. Anything over the legal limit a second time around should be a madatory six month jail sentence and a lifetime driving ban.

I used to work for a guy who got caught twice over a period of 6 years, his first time he got the standard twelve month ban and fine, he served his twelve months, got his licence back and continued to drink and drive until he was caught again about five years later. For the second offence he got a three year ban and a bigger fine. It wouldn't surprise me if after serving the three year ban that he went back to his old ways as before.

[schmenke]

Well at least this idiot won't be on the roads for the next five years :mark:

[Rollo]

Interviewed the following day, Walker told officers he had drunk between 20 and 25 pints and could not remember leaving the pub just after 2200 BST

That's 11.36L of beer :eek:

The stuff must have been going through him and coming out more or less unfiltered like some sort of water recycling system for a fountain. No wonder he couldn't remember leaving the pub.

If it was all 3% piss-weak, then it's still 34 alcohol units, which is still 13 units more than the recommended maximum weekly allowance :eek:


He pulled into a lay-by on the A1301 Sawston bypass to phone his son, but a passing police car pulled in and officers smelled alcohol on Walker's breath, the court heard.

What they don't tell you was the the officer who smelt it was actually on the A836 near Gills Kirkstyle :D

[Hazell B]

A police officer who lives in my home town got almost let off completely for being caught speeding whilst twice and a bit over the limit last week.

She'd crashed into another officer and something else whilst trying to escape the breath test :mark:

Six month ban, small fine.

[fandango]

I know it's a technicality, but if they caught him stopped at a lay-by, then they didn't actually catch him drink-driving, did they?

All the same, 25 pints, how did he even make it to his car?

[Loobylou]

Well at least this idiot won't be on the roads for the next five years :mark:


Don't bank on that. The husband of a woman I used to work with used to drive everywhere, even gave me lifts home sometimes, until I found out he was 'serving' a 10 year driving ban. He would go teararsing round at double the speed limit scaring her & the kids, the car was in her name, the insurance was in her name too.

Luckily the 'lovely young man' hung himself a few years back. Lass finally got the guts upto leave him & he 'couldn't cope without her' - well you shouldn't have kicked the crap out of her & threatened to kill the kids then, should you?

I shed many a tear. ;)