The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A SPALDING lorry driver’s conviction for driving with excess alcohol will have a ‘catastrophic impact’ on his life, a court has been told.
David Rose, (56), of Austendyke Road, Weston Hills, admitted driving with 97 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 milliitres of breath when he appeared at Boston Magistrates Court. The legal limit is 35.
The court heard that Rose was driving a lorry and trailer on the A15 South Road at Bourne at around 7pm on
Tuesday, January 16 and was throwing up mud and swerving across the road.
Police followed the vehicle, said Marie Stace prosecuting, and after seeing it take a bend too wide, they stopped it.
She said Rose was unsteady on his feet and was sucking a sweet.
After a positive breath test he was arrested and gave a reading of 97 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
In mitigation, Sam Lee said Rose had consumed alcohol on his break, which he had never done before and had no idea why he had done it this time.
He said Rose did not feel ‘remotely’ over the limit nor that his driving would be affected.
He said Rose was a lorry driver of 36 years experience with his own business and driving 80,000 miles a year but that this was no longer viable.
“He is devastated by his actions,” Mr Lee told the magistrates.
He said it had been a ‘one-off incident’ and it would have a ‘catastrophic impact’.
Rose was banned from driving for two years but was offered the drink drivers’ rehabilitation scheme, which will reduce the period of the ban by 24 weeks.
He was also fined £300 and ordered to pay £115 in costs and charges.
