ReformedCharacter
New Member
Hi i hope you didnt read the thread and think that sumone has found a loophole in the system to get you off. I want to just give my advice on how to best deal with a drink drive case as this would have been my second offence within 10 years. My hard work aswell as my solicitors helped me prove that i was inncocent.
I originaly got caught in sumone elses car in 2005, i got done for Drink driving ( i blew 91) no licence (technicality) and no insurance(again a technicality). I didnt tell anyone in myfamily what had happned i got a duty solicitor that was useless didnt argue my technicality issues at all and i ended up doing 15 months after the drink rehabilitation course and a £450 fine.
The most recent incident was in february this year, i skidded into a garden at 2 am, i had been out but had drunk only 2 bottles of bud over a 4 hour period, the reason i skidded was it was a little icy and it was on an incline My phone and jacket were at home as i had popped out to get some fags, i went off the road approx 10 min walk from my house. I went home and stupidly started drinking as i was shocked. I ordered a cab to go back to the scene. The cab arrived at 5 am in the meantime i had drunk a considerable amount of alcohol.
When i got back to the scene i phoned for a rescue company to pick my car up and drop it off home, as soon as i put the phone down the police came and arrested me. I blew 90+ and 70+ in the machine at the police station. the police were as they always are sneyd and arrogant but i told them what had happned as soon as i got in the car. i was charged and released to go to court.
I went court yesterday as all the police had was circumstantial evidence on me and nothing more, the tapes were crackled and i had a medical experts report to back caluclate my alocol levels to validate what i was saying about post incident drinking. They introduced a third charge at my initial hearing where i pleaded not guilty of in charge, i rang the rescue company and got a call log to say i rang at the time i said and they visited the scene.
the prosecution could not argue against the truth and they dropped the charges in court yesterday. Relief as i have been on tenderhooks for three months expecting a MINIMUM three year ban.
I am not telling this story to say wha hoo look at me i am so clever i am saying it to just help anyone who is feeling scared, alone, anxious...u know the feelings i know them i have had them twice now even though i knew i was innocent its always the courts that decide our fate so if i can give any advice it is as follows:
1. Get a good solicitor
2. Get a good solicitor
3. Get a good solicitor !!!
( i cant emphasise that enough)
4. Only talk to the police when your solicitor is present- i say this because as my interview tapes had been unusable they tried to use what i had said in the police car as evidence, as i was druunk and wasnt sure of times it was way off the truth, luckily the duty solicitor they sent made notes in the interview which correlated with what i said in the interview which leads me onto number 5
5. Do not ever talk to the police when in the back of the car- as they will record you and video you without telling you as happned in my case, when the interview tapes where blank they stupidly tried to use that as evidence, which was quickly dismissed, but dont say anything at all no matter how friendly they are. SAY NOTHING!
6. Do your own work too- just because you have a solicitor on the case doesnt mean you should sit back and hope for the best, do anything that will make your case stronger, that will assist you in getting a lighter ban, less of a fine etc, work you put into it will benefit you too.
7. keep in regular contact with your solicitor- That is what you are paying them for, i dont mean ring them every day, i mean give them a call once a week to ask any questions to put your mind at ease if you are unsure about anything about your dates, your case or even any evidence you may have to help you.
8. Dont keep it all locked in- tell somebody, talk to somebody you trust about how you are feeling, your emotions anything, this helps a hell of a lot in trying to get your head round what could possibly happen to you.
9. Keep calm- yes you have been caught, but try and write down ways round of how the implications of a ban will have on you, ie a route planner to work, can you get a lift? which buses go there? etc this will make you realise that your world has not caved in and there is a life after a conviction for D/D
If there is anything else you might want to add to help anyone who is going through this atm feel free to add any more pointers.
I could sit here and patronise you and say dont drink and drive, but i appreciate that we sometimes do it without even knowing, in the heat of the moment, in a panic, in an emergency, but what we have got to realise is if we do do it and get caught, try and think its not the end of the world, you can still get around and when you have completed your ban you know what you have to lose so most of you wont ever do it again.
I originaly got caught in sumone elses car in 2005, i got done for Drink driving ( i blew 91) no licence (technicality) and no insurance(again a technicality). I didnt tell anyone in myfamily what had happned i got a duty solicitor that was useless didnt argue my technicality issues at all and i ended up doing 15 months after the drink rehabilitation course and a £450 fine.
The most recent incident was in february this year, i skidded into a garden at 2 am, i had been out but had drunk only 2 bottles of bud over a 4 hour period, the reason i skidded was it was a little icy and it was on an incline My phone and jacket were at home as i had popped out to get some fags, i went off the road approx 10 min walk from my house. I went home and stupidly started drinking as i was shocked. I ordered a cab to go back to the scene. The cab arrived at 5 am in the meantime i had drunk a considerable amount of alcohol.
When i got back to the scene i phoned for a rescue company to pick my car up and drop it off home, as soon as i put the phone down the police came and arrested me. I blew 90+ and 70+ in the machine at the police station. the police were as they always are sneyd and arrogant but i told them what had happned as soon as i got in the car. i was charged and released to go to court.
I went court yesterday as all the police had was circumstantial evidence on me and nothing more, the tapes were crackled and i had a medical experts report to back caluclate my alocol levels to validate what i was saying about post incident drinking. They introduced a third charge at my initial hearing where i pleaded not guilty of in charge, i rang the rescue company and got a call log to say i rang at the time i said and they visited the scene.
the prosecution could not argue against the truth and they dropped the charges in court yesterday. Relief as i have been on tenderhooks for three months expecting a MINIMUM three year ban.
I am not telling this story to say wha hoo look at me i am so clever i am saying it to just help anyone who is feeling scared, alone, anxious...u know the feelings i know them i have had them twice now even though i knew i was innocent its always the courts that decide our fate so if i can give any advice it is as follows:
1. Get a good solicitor
2. Get a good solicitor
3. Get a good solicitor !!!
( i cant emphasise that enough)
4. Only talk to the police when your solicitor is present- i say this because as my interview tapes had been unusable they tried to use what i had said in the police car as evidence, as i was druunk and wasnt sure of times it was way off the truth, luckily the duty solicitor they sent made notes in the interview which correlated with what i said in the interview which leads me onto number 5
5. Do not ever talk to the police when in the back of the car- as they will record you and video you without telling you as happned in my case, when the interview tapes where blank they stupidly tried to use that as evidence, which was quickly dismissed, but dont say anything at all no matter how friendly they are. SAY NOTHING!
6. Do your own work too- just because you have a solicitor on the case doesnt mean you should sit back and hope for the best, do anything that will make your case stronger, that will assist you in getting a lighter ban, less of a fine etc, work you put into it will benefit you too.
7. keep in regular contact with your solicitor- That is what you are paying them for, i dont mean ring them every day, i mean give them a call once a week to ask any questions to put your mind at ease if you are unsure about anything about your dates, your case or even any evidence you may have to help you.
8. Dont keep it all locked in- tell somebody, talk to somebody you trust about how you are feeling, your emotions anything, this helps a hell of a lot in trying to get your head round what could possibly happen to you.
9. Keep calm- yes you have been caught, but try and write down ways round of how the implications of a ban will have on you, ie a route planner to work, can you get a lift? which buses go there? etc this will make you realise that your world has not caved in and there is a life after a conviction for D/D
If there is anything else you might want to add to help anyone who is going through this atm feel free to add any more pointers.
I could sit here and patronise you and say dont drink and drive, but i appreciate that we sometimes do it without even knowing, in the heat of the moment, in a panic, in an emergency, but what we have got to realise is if we do do it and get caught, try and think its not the end of the world, you can still get around and when you have completed your ban you know what you have to lose so most of you wont ever do it again.