Court case over - my story so far.

Convicted Driver Insurance
As I mentioned previously, I had been arrested by the police for 'being in charge of a vehicle whilst drunk.' Needless to say, it was totally out of character and something I really regret and have learnt from. (You can read the full details under the 'Ask a Solicitor' section.)

I decided it was wise to hire a solicitor as I had not actually been caught driving the car but was behind the wheel after it had broken down at night, in the freezing cold, in the middle of nowhere after I took a wrong turn.

Due to the sensitive nature of the case, a solictor's presence was beneficial in case I incriminated myself by saying too much and the court increasing the charge to one of actual drink driving. I was warned by the solicitor that there was a good chance we could turn up at court only to be told the charge had been 'amended' (in other words, scrutinised by the crown prosecution and the charge increased). When my solicitor received the paperwork from the desk at the court, he uttered the dreaded words: 'Bad news, I'm afraid.'

When in court, the prosecution read out the charges and the police witness accounts. They seemed very much exaggerated and made me sound like a complete idiot. I was handed a 19-month driving suspension and a £400 pound fine.

To explain things more clearly, with a breath test of 69mg, there is no mandatory licence disqualification for being in charge of a vehicle. Actual driving carries a disqualification minimum of 12 months. Sadly, the amended charges put me into the latter category and I was not only banned, but for 19 months. The only good thing is with the drink drive course as my ban will be reduced to Feburary 2012.

Although I deserve the punishment and have had to learn an important lesson, I think it is wrong that the prosecution could change their charge without informing the defendant or at least the solicitors days beforehand. At least I could have had the opportunity to not have the solicitors and prepare myself for the imminent disqualification. Either that or the solicitors could have had time to plan a defence.

I feel let down that the police 'witnesses' had a free reign to make ridiculous claims in their witness statements without letting the defendant have a say. They did not see me driving but then changed their mind to say they saw me driving. That was a deliberate lie and a bit below the belt. At the end of the day, it was a victimless crime as I did not steal anything, did not harm anyone and did not damage property. If I had hurt someone, then by all means I would deserve to be punished severely.

On the positive side, I have learnt I do not need to drink at all. I have had various options in regards to travelling to and from work and the changes I have to make have been a benefit instread of a scurge. I believe I have to take my medicine like a man and the big test will be to learn from it, become a better person and never do it again.
 
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