Drink-drive Pc upset by photo of ex and children

Pc will now lose his job CRASHED WHILE OVER LIMIT AND WILL LOSE JOB

A DECORATED police officer who crashed, injuring another driver, had been drinking gin after seeing a photo of his children with his ex-wife and her new partner.

Pc Mark Hall will now lose his job and has been sentenced to spend 50 hours doing unpaid work alongside other criminals, after magistrates told him he had failed to set a good example.

Hall, who received two awards in his 20-year career with the Leicestershire force, had been to see his ex-wife, who lives with their two young children in the Hinckley area, and spotted the photograph of the four of them on holiday.

That led to the 46-year-old drinking gin before driving off at 8pm on October 22.

Hall, of no fixed address, aimed to drive to his parents’ house in Staffordshire, where he had been staying, but, on the way, in Bagworth Road, Nailstone, he swerved across the road and was involved in a head-on collision that caused the male driver of the other vehicle whiplash injuries.

Police at the scene could tell Hall had been drinking and a blood test later showed him to be just over twice the drink-driving limit.

Hall, who was a neighbourhood officer in Countesthorpe, pleaded guilty to drink-driving at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

The court heard the conviction will cost him his job.

Louise Stephens, representing Hall, said: “He has not been able to take the children on nice holidays as he’s paying the mortgage on the family home.”

She said Hall received a commendation from the force in 2003 for his handling of a hostage situation, and was given a Chief Constable’s award in 2017 for his work tackling anti-social behaviour.

Ms Stephens said: “He’s been serving the people of Leicestershire not just well but excelling.

“As a result of this he will also have difficulty seeing his children and have to find alternative employment.

“Mr Hall is extremely remorseful. It’s completely out of character and he was a man of good character with exceptional standing in the community.”

Chairman of the bench Stephen Bryan told Hall: “You’re a serving police officer who should set an example to us all of the time with regard to alcohol, which is the scourge of society, as you know.”

Hall was given a 12-month community order and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £90 victim surcharge.

He was disqualified from driving for 18 months.