Slip1970
Member
Just wanted to pass on my experience rearding my drink drive conviction and try to give any people going through it a glimmer of hope and to let them know that the is light at the end of the long dark tunnel.
On the evening I was arrested sunday 17th september 2017 after visiting a friend to talk about the on going relationship issues with my wife which I don’t need to go into detail about but lets just say I was confussed angry and a bit scared and this clearly had an effect on my decision making that night. I had driven to my friends house with the idea of leaving my car at his house and getting a taxi later for the 2.5 mile journey back to my parents house where I had been staying, after a lot of beer we decided to call ita night an call a taxi but of course the were non available !! so I decided to walk. I started my walk only to be greeted with a heavy down pour so like a complete idiot I jumped im my car and set off. After about half a mile the car behind lit up and I was pulled over, well my heart sank as I knew I was well over. The police officers asked me if I had drank and when, to be fair they were very decent polite and fair with me the only problem was that they didn’t have a breathlyzer so we had to wait for another car to turn up with one which took around 20 minutes and then another police car turned up so I had 3 cars all with blue light on and 5 or 6 police officers ! people must of thought that they had stopped the kray twins or something, anyway I blew and iwas well over so off I go to the station luckly I wasn’t cuffed but my first ride in a police car was scary.
once at the station i blew 103 on the big machine and the reading was put into context for me and my world caved in, i was taken to the desk sergeant charged and take to a cell where i spent the next 6 hours lisening to the sound of the other prisoners yelling and screaming, wondering how the hell i have ended up in this shameful situation. After a long 6 or so hours i was taken from the cell photograhed and DNA & fingerprints taken handed a court summons and kicked out. like a fool i thought my car would of been waiting for me outside...as if... so it was a call my dad and he come for me. that sunday was the worst day of my life i was so scared and ashamed, i thought i would be sacked and go to prison.
My court date was 4th october 2017 and my advice is that if you are a high risk offender get some legal advice and if you can take a solicitor to mediate for you, they are expensive but my solicitor got me the best result possiblle result which was the obligtory 24 month ban but he managed to talk the magistrates around to giving me a 12 week curfew instead of comunity service. also when you go to court put on a suit and try and look as smart and polite as possible as they want to see that you are respecting the court also write a letter to the magistrates explaing your remorse for what happened plus if you can get a couple of good character referance then this may all help you and pretty much guarantee that the court will offer the drink drive awarnes course which will give you a 25% reduction on completion.
After the court hearing is out of the way i guarantee you will start to feel better, the is a long long way to go but your now on your way. I was and am lucky enough to have wonderful parents who have helped me no end, they have taken me to work every other week and a very close friend who i work with takes me the other and as i write this i have 7 weeks to go until my ban ends and i have still managed to keep it hidden from my work and other friends with a lot of white lies and not telling people to much about my life, basically if you want to keep it secret then keep yourself to yourself.
I wanted to get the drink drive course done asap so I signed up and paid my £250 for my course which would be done over 3 consecutive Saturdays so the was no odd days holiday to take. The first day of the course is daunting but once your in and settled it's actually very interesting and informative also it's a good chance to chat with fellow drink drivers tbh it can be rather funny and a release valve at times and I met a few nice guys but the were some people who you knew had drink problems. Ironically 4 of us had a few pints after the last day which was good and it draw a line under that part of the journey.
The next year 2018 did pass very slowly and you will get wet, cold and frustrated with public transport but just put your head down and say to yourself that it's not for ever... it will be ok... difficult but ok.
As a high risk offender I received my letter from DVLA 90 days before the ban ends so get that sent off asap, my ban ends on 3 April 2019 so I had my last drink on Christmas day and haven't touched a drop since and it's been fine but I haven't lost a pound in weight after 7 weeks of abstanance so I guess I wasn't a big swigger anyway, I had a private medichecks CDT test and my result was 0.7% the lowest reading I believe is 0.6% so I'm 99% confident my medical which I have on Monday 11th February will be fine...I did have Heineken zero % lager and it does scratch that itch slightly... it's ok if you get it really cold and swig it from the can... Well I'm nearly at the end of it all now and I have ordered my new car so by 3rd April I should be back on the road ) I'm going to point the new car North and have a road trip to the Scottish Highlands...just me, my car and put the last 18 months behind me.
Hope this helps someone a little as I have found the forum a godsend in my lowest moment and just remember the ban will end and like me most of us will never drive again after even one drink so keep on going and good luck....the is light at the end of the tunnel.
On the evening I was arrested sunday 17th september 2017 after visiting a friend to talk about the on going relationship issues with my wife which I don’t need to go into detail about but lets just say I was confussed angry and a bit scared and this clearly had an effect on my decision making that night. I had driven to my friends house with the idea of leaving my car at his house and getting a taxi later for the 2.5 mile journey back to my parents house where I had been staying, after a lot of beer we decided to call ita night an call a taxi but of course the were non available !! so I decided to walk. I started my walk only to be greeted with a heavy down pour so like a complete idiot I jumped im my car and set off. After about half a mile the car behind lit up and I was pulled over, well my heart sank as I knew I was well over. The police officers asked me if I had drank and when, to be fair they were very decent polite and fair with me the only problem was that they didn’t have a breathlyzer so we had to wait for another car to turn up with one which took around 20 minutes and then another police car turned up so I had 3 cars all with blue light on and 5 or 6 police officers ! people must of thought that they had stopped the kray twins or something, anyway I blew and iwas well over so off I go to the station luckly I wasn’t cuffed but my first ride in a police car was scary.
once at the station i blew 103 on the big machine and the reading was put into context for me and my world caved in, i was taken to the desk sergeant charged and take to a cell where i spent the next 6 hours lisening to the sound of the other prisoners yelling and screaming, wondering how the hell i have ended up in this shameful situation. After a long 6 or so hours i was taken from the cell photograhed and DNA & fingerprints taken handed a court summons and kicked out. like a fool i thought my car would of been waiting for me outside...as if... so it was a call my dad and he come for me. that sunday was the worst day of my life i was so scared and ashamed, i thought i would be sacked and go to prison.
My court date was 4th october 2017 and my advice is that if you are a high risk offender get some legal advice and if you can take a solicitor to mediate for you, they are expensive but my solicitor got me the best result possiblle result which was the obligtory 24 month ban but he managed to talk the magistrates around to giving me a 12 week curfew instead of comunity service. also when you go to court put on a suit and try and look as smart and polite as possible as they want to see that you are respecting the court also write a letter to the magistrates explaing your remorse for what happened plus if you can get a couple of good character referance then this may all help you and pretty much guarantee that the court will offer the drink drive awarnes course which will give you a 25% reduction on completion.
After the court hearing is out of the way i guarantee you will start to feel better, the is a long long way to go but your now on your way. I was and am lucky enough to have wonderful parents who have helped me no end, they have taken me to work every other week and a very close friend who i work with takes me the other and as i write this i have 7 weeks to go until my ban ends and i have still managed to keep it hidden from my work and other friends with a lot of white lies and not telling people to much about my life, basically if you want to keep it secret then keep yourself to yourself.
I wanted to get the drink drive course done asap so I signed up and paid my £250 for my course which would be done over 3 consecutive Saturdays so the was no odd days holiday to take. The first day of the course is daunting but once your in and settled it's actually very interesting and informative also it's a good chance to chat with fellow drink drivers tbh it can be rather funny and a release valve at times and I met a few nice guys but the were some people who you knew had drink problems. Ironically 4 of us had a few pints after the last day which was good and it draw a line under that part of the journey.
The next year 2018 did pass very slowly and you will get wet, cold and frustrated with public transport but just put your head down and say to yourself that it's not for ever... it will be ok... difficult but ok.
As a high risk offender I received my letter from DVLA 90 days before the ban ends so get that sent off asap, my ban ends on 3 April 2019 so I had my last drink on Christmas day and haven't touched a drop since and it's been fine but I haven't lost a pound in weight after 7 weeks of abstanance so I guess I wasn't a big swigger anyway, I had a private medichecks CDT test and my result was 0.7% the lowest reading I believe is 0.6% so I'm 99% confident my medical which I have on Monday 11th February will be fine...I did have Heineken zero % lager and it does scratch that itch slightly... it's ok if you get it really cold and swig it from the can... Well I'm nearly at the end of it all now and I have ordered my new car so by 3rd April I should be back on the road ) I'm going to point the new car North and have a road trip to the Scottish Highlands...just me, my car and put the last 18 months behind me.
Hope this helps someone a little as I have found the forum a godsend in my lowest moment and just remember the ban will end and like me most of us will never drive again after even one drink so keep on going and good luck....the is light at the end of the tunnel.