Drink-driver found covered in vomit and asleep at the wheel

A drink-driver was found by police slumped in the driver's seat of his car and covered in his own vomit.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Daniel Edward Ames, 22, was discovered parked up in a Ford Focus outside a block of flats on Wirksworth Road, at Duffield, near Belper.

Prosecuting solicitor Lynn Bickley told a recent Chesterfield magistrates’ court hearing: “The circumstances are that police were called on Saturday, January 6, about 4.55am, after a vehicle was seen parked on Wirksworth Road, at Duffield, with the driver pressing the horn and it was thought he might be drunk.

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“Police found him slumped and fast asleep in the driver’s side of the vehicle with the key in the ignition and the engine was running and the vehicle was blocking access to a block of flats and he was covered in his own vomit.”

Ames was arrested after roadside breath test and he was taken to Royal Derby Hospital, according to Mrs Bickley, because of concerns about his demeanour.

Mrs Bickley added that two hours later he was taken into police custody and he provided a drink-drive breath-test result of 63microgrammes of alcohol in 100millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35microgrammes.

Ames, of Birchover Way, Derby, admitted that he had driven to Derby to attend a work party on Friar Gate, in Derby, and he had consumed alcohol and had made a stupid decision to drive home.

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He added that he had been dropping someone off when he had been approached by the police.

Ames, who has no previous convictions and who is a student and works part-time, pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit.

He told the court: “There is no defending what I did. It was stupid mistake. It is common sense that I should not have done that.”

Magistrates fined Ames during a sentencing hearing, on January 31, £120 and they ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months but if he completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course his ban can be reduced by 19 weeks.