Drink-driver spotted weaving across road

A MOTORIST avoided jail for ignoring his driving ban – despite an appalling criminal record.

Trevor Slater already had an astonishing 38 convictions for driving whilst disqualified and 12 for drink-driving when he was caught behind the wheel again, in the early hours of August 4, weaving across the road in a drunken state.

Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that police noticed Slater’s Citroen Berlingo travelling along Wakefield Road in Scissett at 4am.

Officers stopped the van after weaved towards the centre line and Slater told them: “I’m disqualified.”

They could smell alcohol on the 57-year-old’s breath and he was arrested after failing a roadside breath test.

Further police station tests showed that he had 42 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Slater pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving whilst disqualified and using a vehicle without insurance.

He was already banned from the road following a conviction for dangerous driving in 2006.

He was told to take an extended retest then, before he could drive again, but failed to do so.

Zara Begum, mitigating, explained that on the night of the incident her client was staying with a friend.

Slater’s son arrived and he wasn’t happy with him being there as he was drunk and had taken cocaine.

Miss Begum said: “His son was being aggressive and he was concerned that he would cause damage or steal something.

“He knew he shouldn’t drive but felt pressure to take him away from that.”

Magistrates were told that Slater got into his friend’s van to take his son back home.

Miss Begum added: “I’m sure he’s one of the worst you’ve seen in terms of driving whilst disqualified.”

The Huddersfield court was told that he became alcohol dependent following the break down of his relationship.

Miss Begum explained: “He drinks daily from first thing in the morning and wants to get out of this cycle.”

Magistrates sentenced Slater, of West Street in Pontefract, to three months in custody, suspended for a year.

He was ordered to undergo six months of alcohol treatment and complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as part of a community order. Slater must also pay a £115 victim surcharge and £85 court costs. He was banned from driving for three years.