A CIVIL engineer was seen leaving a pub after drinking alcohol, driving off in his car, entering a no through road, mounting a kerb and driving against the flow of traffic before driving to another pub to meet a friend.
Bradley Edwards was spoken to by police at the second pub, in Newtown, after they had been alerted by staff at the previous pub to the fact he may have been drink driving.
When Edwards, 38, was stopped he was breathalysed and found to be more than double the drink drive limit, and he was arrested.
Appearing at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 2, the Staffordshire man admitted a charge of drink driving.
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Prosecutor Helen Tench said police were contacted by staff at Newtown’s 23 Social bar and restaurant at around 9pm as they believed a male was drink driving.
“The venue’s CCTV located a vehicle, which was monitored. At around 9.13pm a male gets in the vehicle, reversed, then drove off down Shortbridge Street.
“He is seen to contravene a no entry sign, mounted the kerb, then drove in the opposite direction, though no cars were coming. He made a lap of the town centre then parked outside the Buck Inn and got out.
“PC Price arrived 30 seconds later and spoke to the defendant. The keys were in his possession. He had slurred speech and smelt of alcohol. He agreed he was driving, he said he could not recall how much alcohol he’d drank.”
Edwards, driving a Ford Transit, was found to have 88 micrograms of alcohol in his breath – the legal limit is 35 micrograms.
Representing the defendant, a father of one from Hollington, Staffordshire, Rob Hanratty said: “He was visiting a friend in Newtown.
“He thought it would be better to move [the vehicle] to another location as he was meeting a friend at another pub. He was driving round looking for a parking spot.
“He is a civil engineer and the loss of his licence will create significant inconvenience and hardship. He works all over the UK and organises work for 12 others."
Edwards was disqualified from driving for 22 months; he will be able to reduce this ban if he completes a drink driving awareness course.
Magistrates also fined him £500 and told him to pay a £200 surcharge and £85 costs.
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