Bereaved Ripley driver caught drink-driving gets 20 month ban

A bereaved motorist was caught drink-driving after he had bumped into old friends of his deceased brother and ended up drinking more alcohol than he had intended.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, December 8, how Andrew Simpson, 45, of Street Lane, Denby, Ripley, was found to be more than twice the legal drink-drive limit after a test.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “Police were on duty in the early hours when they saw a vehicle parked at a strange angle.

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“An officer approached the vehicle and the defendant got out and said he was just dropping off a friend after a night-out but Mr Simpson was slurring his words and was unsteady.”

Simpson was breath-tested and recorded 74 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath which was more than twice the legal drink-drive limit of 35 microgrammes.

The defendant pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit after the incident on November 22 on Dove Close, at Kilburn.

Defence solicitor David Gittins said: “The car had been at an angle to let his friend out.

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“He had been drinking because he had gone to a pub with a friend to have a quick drink but he bumped into friends of his brother who had passed away.

“His brother had died in September after an 11 month battle with cancer and Mr Simpson had been so badly affected he had to have eight weeks off work because of stress.

“He had gone to the pub with a friend but it turned into a situation where he had more drinks than he had intended.

“He accepts it was a mistake and he shouldn’t have got back behind the wheel.”

Magistrates banned Simpson from driving for 20 months and ordered him to pay £577 in fines, costs and charges.