Hi got arrested for Drink Drive, Driving on Prol Lic and No Insurance

Convicted Driver Insurance

VVSS

New Member
Hi, I am a 47 male professional I was driving on my American Driver Lic and with my International Driver Lic holder Insurance via Aviva when I got arrested on 27 July for Drink Drive, they also found small amount of class A drugs in the car (which was from other individuals that I had given a ride). After the arrest it was found out that I had a Provisional Lic and that I had no insurance and even if I did it would be invalid.

I was driving on the US Lic because I travel back and forth to the US on business and thought that the International Lic Insurance holder would cover me as I migrated to the UK Lic. To complicate matters, I found out that this Inter Lic Holder insurance had been cancelled on the 14th of July (After having it over a year) due to not verifying my new address. Also, my MOT was expired.

I have been completely confused on UK driver law because of mixed information from local authorities. Also I had moved twice and both times (this now being the second) my insurance lapsed and was stopped and caught in this state of affairs.

I am a professional with no prior criminal record here and having just purchased a house with my partner on the UK Gov Help to Buy Scheme and being the 75% contributor to the household bills, I am completely afraid of losing my professional work, home and future income potential due to this blunder of errors, bad judgement and over sights on my behalf. I am completely lost with UK law as I keep looking at it through the lens of my 22 years on living in the US.

I desperately need some insight on what to do next.
 
Once you apply for a licence in the UK this then overrides any other licence you have when you are driving here. For example if you are entitled to drive on an international licence and then obtain a UK provisional licence, the provisional licence takes precedent when in the UK. In any event, your international licence had been revoked and you would be guilty of driving otherwise in accordance with a licence.

I cannot advise what the likely sentence will be without knowing exactly what you have been charged with and what your reading was for the drink drive offence. Were you actually charged with possession of a class A drug or was it your friend who was charged?
 
Once you apply for a licence in the UK this then overrides any other licence you have when you are driving here. For example if you are entitled to drive on an international licence and then obtain a UK provisional licence, the provisional licence takes precedent when in the UK. In any event, your international licence had been revoked and you would be guilty of driving otherwise in accordance with a licence.

I cannot advise what the likely sentence will be without knowing exactly what you have been charged with and what your reading was for the drink drive offence. Were you actually charged with possession of a class A drug or was it your friend who was charged?

~~~~~~~~

Hi,

Thank you for your response.

I was alone when I got arrested on my way back from letting a newly met individual drive my car to get them home as I felt too drunk to drive but then I had to drive home and I was pulled over because my lights (tail lights) were turned off. My lights default setting is 'auto on', so I think that the person that drove my car might have messed about with the lights thinking they had turned them on (the dash board lights auto on when dark).

I have been charged with (Bail Paper says 'Alleged offences'):

- 'Drive motor vehicle with alcohol level limit' / There were two readings one was 74 @ 4:06am and one was 84 @ 4:09 am
- 'Possess a controlled drug of Class A - Cocaine' / I do not do Cocaine, I believe the individual I let drive dropped it in the car / I was tested for Opiates and Cocaine and it came back as negative.

I THINK I have also been charged with (though I don't know because it is not listed on the Bail Notice)

- Driving on Provisional Lic
- Driving without Insurance

Again thank you for your insight on this and any recommendations for next steps.

Regards,

VVSS
 
Because of the possession of a class A drug charge you may well be entitled to legal aid, dependant of course on your financial situation. Either way I would advise having a solicitor instructed if you deny possession of the drug. The sentencing guidelines for the drink driving offence advise a 17-22 month disqualification and a band C, means tested fine. You are also likely to be offered the drink drive awareness course which will reduce the length of your disqualification by up to 25% upon completion.

As the allegations of driving without insurance, and driving otherwise in accordance with a licence have not been listed on the charge sheet, you are not being charged with these offences at the moment. The CPS may decide to bring these allegations at Court however it is likely that they will just present them as aggravating factors in the case, rather than separate offences.
 
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