Police boxed-in a drink-driver on a slip road after a tip-off

Police followed and boxed-in a drink-driver after they had received a tip-off that he looked like he had been boozing.
A police car.A police car.
A police car.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, February 14, how Jonathan Cleaver, 30, of Alfred Street, Pinxton, was stopped on a slip-road between the A38 and Birchwood Lane, at South Normanton.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “The circumstances are that just before 10pm, on January 24, police received information about a couple getting into a Renault Megane appearing drunk.”

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Mrs Allsop added that the vehicle stopped and was boxed-in on a slip road by police who said the driver smelled of alcohol and he had slurred speech.

Cleaver told police he had consumed a couple of pints and he had been to the cinema.

The defendant registered 69microgrammes of alcohol in 100millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35microgrammes, according to the court.

He pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit and also admitted driving without insurance.

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Defence solicitor David Gittins said Cleaver had been with a female and he had been driving her car and he thought he was covered under his own driving insurance to drive another person’s car but he was not.

Mr Gittins added that Cleaver had miscalculated how much he had had to drink and there was no suggestion of any bad driving.

Magistrates fined Cleaver £513 and ordered him to pay a £51 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

He was also banned from driving for 18 months but if he completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course his ban could be reduced by 136 days.