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[Concerned90]

My ex partner has recently been charged with DD (4x over the limit) unsure how as they claim it was the morning after the night before so it must have been a heavy night. Anyway they where pulled after collecting our child from school, however when they where pulled the vehicle was stationary and my child was no longer in the vehicle or near the vehicle and was in the safety of my home.

My partner has a longstanding problem with alcohol which up until he’s never admitted this, there’s lots of complicating factors surrounding his current mental stability.
I have been contacted by ss whom are happy that I’m a protective factor.
However I’m wondering what the future holds for my ex partner, I know he’ll lose his licence and so he should but what are the other consequences.

He has no criminal history and a clean driving record.

 

[lewisben1]

4x over the limit outside a school he will be lucky to stay out of jail for that but tbf I think a little jail time would do him good

 

[Concerned90]

4x over the limit outside a school he will be lucky to stay out of jail for that but tbf I think a little jail time would do him go

4x over the limit outside a school he will be lucky to stay out of jail for that but tbf I think a little jail time would do him good

Thanks for your reply: just to clarify she hadn’t got as far as the school as the child had already started to walk home, apparently our child got in the car at the bottom of the road from my home, around 200m still not an excuse there is no acceptable excuse but what I think needs consideration is she has a dependency to alcohol which unfortunately until now no one has accepted and therefore those whom have suffered a dependency will be aware there is no thought process.

 

[Xeronema]

Has she ever been arrested for drink drive before?

 

[Concerned90]

Has she ever been arrested for drink drive before?

Nope no police involvement, clean license held for 20 years.

I’m furious of course but for years iv been trying to get them to admit their problem and enrol the support of close friends and family but no one believed me… I’m hoping this is the wake up call they all needed.

 

[Xeronema]

Nope no police involvement, clean license held for 20 years.

I’m furious of course but for years iv been trying to get them to admit their problem and enrol the support of close friends and family but no one believed me… I’m hoping this is the wake up call they all needed.

I'd be surprised if they recieve a custodial sentence. Maybe a suspended sentence? And I'm only thinking that because your child was in the car, even if it was only for 200 metres worth of driving.

As far as her dependency is concerned, it's difficult. I'm a recovering alcoholic, I've been there. Until she admits that she has a problem, there isn't a great deal that you can do about it, other than do your best to make sure your child doesn't get into a car with her and I'd probably even go as far as suggesting that she shouldn't have unsupervised access with your child - that's entirely up to you how you wish to deal with the matter. If she's willing to get into a car drunk to pick up your child, especially given that they can walk home (as they nearly did get all the way home), I'd be worried too.

With a bit of luck she'll now realise that she needs support. It isn't going to be easy, you all have a long road ahead of you.

 

[Concerned90]

I'd be surprised if they recieve a custodial sentence. Maybe a suspended sentence? And I'm only thinking that because your child was in the car, even if it was only for 200 metres worth of driving.

As far as her dependency is concerned, it's difficult. I'm a recovering alcoholic, I've been there. Until she admits that she has a problem, there isn't a great deal that you can do about it, other than do your best to make sure your child doesn't get into a car with her and I'd probably even go as far as suggesting that she shouldn't have unsupervised access with your child - that's entirely up to you how you wish to deal with the matter. If she's willing to get into a car drunk to pick up your child, especially given that they can walk home (as they nearly did get all the way home), I'd be worried too.

With a bit of luck she'll now realise that she needs support. It isn't going to be easy, you all have a long road ahead of you.

Yeah iv spoke wit SS and iv said supervised contact until shes engaging in support, no access if under the influence and no over night stays until I can be confident my child is safe

 

[Xeronema]

Yeah iv spoke wit SS and iv said supervised contact until shes engaging in support, no access if under the influence and no over night stays until I can be confident my child is safe

I think that's a good idea.

As far as getting support for her alcoholism, I'd strongly suggest that she seeks help from her GP. Now I know that will mean that if she is going to drive again, after her ban, she's going to be looking at needing to stay clean of alcohol for a minimum of year to even get her licence back. If she is allowed her driving licence back it's going to be a 1 year medical licence. On the medical questionnaire that she'll fill out each year for renewal, she'll have to tick the box "Within the last 6 years have you been dependent on or regularly misused alcohol?". While ever she's ticking that box, she'll only be granted a 1 year medical licence which will have to be renewed every year, and she'll have to declare that she hasn't consumed any alcohol 12 months prior to when she received her first 1 year medical licence..

As some have stated on this forum, the DVLA will expect someone that has been alcohol dependant to be abstinent for life. I mean even if that isn't the case, she'll have to be clean for 7 years before g̷e̷t̷t̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷a̷n̷y̷t̷h̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷b̷u̷t̷ ̷a̷ ̷1̷ ̷y̷e̷a̷r̷ ̷m̷e̷d̷i̷c̷a̷l̷ ̷l̷i̷c̷e̷n̷c̷e̷.̷ receiving a driving licence that is valid for longer than 1 year.

Edit: I've just looked at my medical questionnaire (a scan/copy of it) and it states the following: "If there is a history of alcohol dependency you are required to show abstinence from alcohol for 12 months. Abstinence means not taking any alcohol." - that bit is fairly straight forward, however the following is also written, "You must continue to abstain from alcohol should you wish to hold a driving licence." - that to me indicates that abstinence is for life, even once a 3, 5 or 10 year licence is awarded.

I'd try not to worry too much about that right now though, that's a long way away and she'll undergo blood testing fairly often to make sure her health is improving.

I feel that you've done the right thing. It's a long road my friend, but it can be done, with the right support. Please feel free to private message me any time if you want to chat. It doesn't have to be about drink driving, you can talk to me about anything in general. I'm about pretty much all the time, and throughout a lot of late nights and early mornings too.

 

[Xeronema]

Any text that I've writen in bold is where I've edited my response after already posting my reply.

 

[Concerned90]

I think that's a good idea.

As far as getting support for her alcoholism, I'd strongly suggest that she seeks help from her GP. Now I know that will mean that if she is going to drive again, after her ban, she's going to be looking at needing to stay clean of alcohol for a minimum of year to even get her licence back. If she is allowed her driving licence back it's going to be a 1 year medical licence. On the medical questionnaire that she'll fill out each year for renewal, she'll have to tick the box "Within the last 6 years have you been dependent on or regularly misused alcohol?". While ever she's ticking that box, she'll only be granted a 1 year medical licence which will have to be renewed every year, and she'll have to declare that she hasn't consumed any alcohol 12 months prior to when she received her first 1 year medical licence..

As some have stated on this forum, the DVLA will expect someone that has been alcohol dependant to be abstinent for life. I mean even if that isn't the case, she'll have to be clean for 7 years before g̷e̷t̷t̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷a̷n̷y̷t̷h̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷b̷u̷t̷ ̷a̷ ̷1̷ ̷y̷e̷a̷r̷ ̷m̷e̷d̷i̷c̷a̷l̷ ̷l̷i̷c̷e̷n̷c̷e̷.̷ receiving a driving licence that is valid for longer than 1 year.

Edit: I've just looked at my medical questionnaire (a scan/copy of it) and it states the following: "If there is a history of alcohol dependency you are required to show abstinence from alcohol for 12 months. Abstinence means not taking any alcohol." - that bit is fairly straight forward, however the following is also written, "You must continue to abstain from alcohol should you wish to hold a driving licence." - that to me indicates that abstinence is for life, even once a 3, 5 or 10 year licence is awarded.

I'd try not to worry too much about that right now though, that's a long way away and she'll undergo blood testing fairly often to make sure her health is improving.

I feel that you've done the right thing. It's a long road my friend, but it can be done, with the right support. Please feel free to private message me any time if you want to chat. It doesn't have to be about drink driving, you can talk to me about anything in general. I'm about pretty much all the time, and throughout a lot of late nights and early mornings too.

Thanks I appreciate this