Blew 73, very nervous and upset

[NotGood25]

Hello.
On Good Friday I drove 40 miles to meet a woman I had been speaking to on a dating site. I got to hers and we had some drinks through the night. At some point around 12 midnight we had a big falling out and she kicked me out the house. In the process she called the police who arrived as I had already left.
Nothing came of that but they warned me not to drive and to sleep in the back of the car if I had to.
They left and I returned to the house to try and convince her to let me stay, she denied and at 4:10am I started driving, got down then road and was arrested and taken to the station where 73 was blown on the machine.
I only had a shirt and jeans with me and felt too cold to sleep in the car. I was also in an unknown area so I had nowhere to go and didn't know anyone who could help at 4am.
I use my car to attend a college course which has no bus routes. I am doing really well on it and will be going to university in September but leaving the car at home. I have no other convictions.

What is likely to happen and can any of the above story help me? I'm so ashamed and upset.

 

[SeanJoyceStephensons]

The penalty for drink driving is a mandatory minimum 12 month disqualification. A reading of 73µg of alcohol in 100ml of breath will mean that the court will look to ban you for a period of between 17 and 22 months. The court can consider all of the background to the offence and your personal background but only as a means to vary the length of the ban. For this type of offence the court are duty bound to impose a ban if you enter a guilty plea. Your mitigation can sometimes help persuade the court to be more lenient when deciding how long that ban should be. I would advise speaking to a solicitor about how specialist representation and mitigation can potentially help to minimise the ban.

 

[NotGood25]

The penalty for drink driving is a mandatory minimum 12 month disqualification. A reading of 73µg of alcohol in 100ml of breath will mean that the court will look to ban you for a period of between 17 and 22 months. The court can consider all of the background to the offence and your personal background but only as a means to vary the length of the ban. For this type of offence the court are duty bound to impose a ban if you enter a guilty plea. Your mitigation can sometimes help persuade the court to be more lenient when deciding how long that ban should be. I would advise speaking to a solicitor about how specialist representation and mitigation can potentially help to minimise the ban.

Thank you. Based on what I have said, is there any chance the ban could be reduced to 12 months, or even anything less than 17? I have no real mitigation other than being trapped in a village with no public transport, first conviction, no points on licence, fully cooperative with police and will be visiting a GP tomorrow for antidepressants as I am taking this severely badly.

 

[SeanJoyceStephensons]

The sentencing guidelines are usually strictly followed by the court and it is unusual for the court to impose a penalty more lenient than the guidelines suggest. That is not to say that it could not happen with well prepared and appropriate mitigation advanced by a specialist representative. If your hearing is on or after 24 April 2017 you will also be at risk of having to complete a community order rather than a fine. This is something you should definitely obtain specialist advice regarding. You can contact a specialist on 03333233725.