FreedomSeeker
New Member
After coming across this forum on google I decided to write about my experience after being convicted of 'Drive motor vehicle when alcohol level above limit.'.
To cut a long story short, I made the monumentally stupid mistake of driving home after having a couple of pints with friends, reason being my so called friend (a person I was relying on to either let me stay the night or arrange a lift home) had let me down.
I had to be at work the following morning and without access to a phone, I switched into panic mode and decided to risk driving the 15 to 20 miles home. I drove out of town cautiously and felt safe, so I carried on. I'd got to another town on my way and decided to take a detour in hope that the route would be safer and less busy. I was about 25 minutes into my journey with 5 minutes left until I was home, when I drove round a series of dark country roads, well known locally as hazardous and accident prone due to a tractor crossing and mud being spread everywhere. The back end of my car flung out and being a narrow road my rear wheel hit a small kerb and broke away. Luckily nobody else was involved as I was in the middle of nowhere. The first thing I did was get out of the car and just stare back at it in pure shock. The second thing I did was call the police and reported myself for the accident and admitted to drinking. When the police turned up they tested my breath and I read 78 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milligrams of breath, cuffed me and took me to the station for a statement.
After I'd had a few cuts and grazes looked at, prints and photos taken, they gave me a further breath test which showed similar results. I was then taken to a room to give my statement, at the end of which the woman asked me if I wanted to plead guilty or not guilty and to bear in mind I was not seen nor where there any witnesses that can prove I was driving the car. I pleaded guilty. I was taken to a cell where I was told I had to spend the night.
I went to work the next day and spoke to my manager. I was told I would be facing disciplinary proceedings. In July 2011 I went to court and was given an 18 month suspension, a £350 fine and an opportunity to have the suspension reduced to 14 months if completed a drink drive course at the cost of £157.50. I had further meetings with my mannager and my directors and was told that I had to go. When I was released from custody they told me where my car had been impounded. This turned out to be wrong and it took a further 2 weeks to locate it. By then the charges and fees of having the car collected, transferred to 2 different impounds and the relevant company notifying me, had amounted to £900! All these costs caused me to go well over my overdraft limit, and I still am. I'm struggling to pay off the overdraft fees let alone arrears. I can't find a job because there aren't any going, the ones I can find require a licence or are too far to reach even with public transport. I've had to swallow some pride and apply for job seekers allowance to get me by through christmas, I had been using savings ever since losing my job but it's all gone now. I also had the humiliation of having my case published and publicised in the local newspaper.
Never really been one to use forums but an hour or so before writing this I read an article online about a foreign man crashing his car after having the equivalent of half a bottle of vodka found in his system. He wasn't seen crashing his car and when he went to court he claimed that in the 20 minutes it took for the police to turn up, he had walked home, drunk the vodka and walked back again. He was let off because there was no evidence and no witness to prove otherwise.
That really rattled my cage. I mean, I don't condone drink driving and I'm not proud of it either. I lost a very well paid job at a time where I was progressing through to a higher position, with security, savings and opportunities. But as contraversial as some may see, I am proud that I say I by my morals and was as honest as I could be and I don't think I deserve to have been banned for so long or lose my job. God knows how I will afford another car and the sky high insurance premiums, especially when they where through the roof to begin with!
I would be the perfect advert for a Christmas drink drive campaign! I've certainly learnt not to make this mistake again and also that honesty gets you nowhere with the judicial system.
Out of interest, the courts give a certain amount of time to appeal a decision, if I'm right it's about 21 days? Obviously it's been longer than that now but I'd like to know if it's possible to appeal, not to simply get away with it, I feel I deserve punishment for my lack of responsibility, but to try and reduce the period of my suspension. If anyone knows I would appreciate your feedback!
To cut a long story short, I made the monumentally stupid mistake of driving home after having a couple of pints with friends, reason being my so called friend (a person I was relying on to either let me stay the night or arrange a lift home) had let me down.
I had to be at work the following morning and without access to a phone, I switched into panic mode and decided to risk driving the 15 to 20 miles home. I drove out of town cautiously and felt safe, so I carried on. I'd got to another town on my way and decided to take a detour in hope that the route would be safer and less busy. I was about 25 minutes into my journey with 5 minutes left until I was home, when I drove round a series of dark country roads, well known locally as hazardous and accident prone due to a tractor crossing and mud being spread everywhere. The back end of my car flung out and being a narrow road my rear wheel hit a small kerb and broke away. Luckily nobody else was involved as I was in the middle of nowhere. The first thing I did was get out of the car and just stare back at it in pure shock. The second thing I did was call the police and reported myself for the accident and admitted to drinking. When the police turned up they tested my breath and I read 78 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milligrams of breath, cuffed me and took me to the station for a statement.
After I'd had a few cuts and grazes looked at, prints and photos taken, they gave me a further breath test which showed similar results. I was then taken to a room to give my statement, at the end of which the woman asked me if I wanted to plead guilty or not guilty and to bear in mind I was not seen nor where there any witnesses that can prove I was driving the car. I pleaded guilty. I was taken to a cell where I was told I had to spend the night.
I went to work the next day and spoke to my manager. I was told I would be facing disciplinary proceedings. In July 2011 I went to court and was given an 18 month suspension, a £350 fine and an opportunity to have the suspension reduced to 14 months if completed a drink drive course at the cost of £157.50. I had further meetings with my mannager and my directors and was told that I had to go. When I was released from custody they told me where my car had been impounded. This turned out to be wrong and it took a further 2 weeks to locate it. By then the charges and fees of having the car collected, transferred to 2 different impounds and the relevant company notifying me, had amounted to £900! All these costs caused me to go well over my overdraft limit, and I still am. I'm struggling to pay off the overdraft fees let alone arrears. I can't find a job because there aren't any going, the ones I can find require a licence or are too far to reach even with public transport. I've had to swallow some pride and apply for job seekers allowance to get me by through christmas, I had been using savings ever since losing my job but it's all gone now. I also had the humiliation of having my case published and publicised in the local newspaper.
Never really been one to use forums but an hour or so before writing this I read an article online about a foreign man crashing his car after having the equivalent of half a bottle of vodka found in his system. He wasn't seen crashing his car and when he went to court he claimed that in the 20 minutes it took for the police to turn up, he had walked home, drunk the vodka and walked back again. He was let off because there was no evidence and no witness to prove otherwise.
That really rattled my cage. I mean, I don't condone drink driving and I'm not proud of it either. I lost a very well paid job at a time where I was progressing through to a higher position, with security, savings and opportunities. But as contraversial as some may see, I am proud that I say I by my morals and was as honest as I could be and I don't think I deserve to have been banned for so long or lose my job. God knows how I will afford another car and the sky high insurance premiums, especially when they where through the roof to begin with!
I would be the perfect advert for a Christmas drink drive campaign! I've certainly learnt not to make this mistake again and also that honesty gets you nowhere with the judicial system.
Out of interest, the courts give a certain amount of time to appeal a decision, if I'm right it's about 21 days? Obviously it's been longer than that now but I'd like to know if it's possible to appeal, not to simply get away with it, I feel I deserve punishment for my lack of responsibility, but to try and reduce the period of my suspension. If anyone knows I would appreciate your feedback!
