Drink-driver caught after celebrations for Dubai work contract
A GAS engineer was caught drink-driving as he celebrated winning a big work contract in Dubai.
Kevin Collins, of Norwood Road in Birkby, pleaded guilty to failing to provide of specimen of breath for analysis.
The 54-year-old was handed a heavy fine because his employment oversees made any court-ordered punishment impractical.
Vanessa Jones, prosecuting, said that Collins was stopped shortly before 2am on December 6.
Police were carrying out routine checks but suspected that he had been drinking and carried out a roadside breath test.
This was positive and he was arrested and taken to Dewsbury Police Station. Mrs Jones told Kirklees magistrates: “The defendant was asked to give a (breath) sample but failed to do so.
“He didn’t have any medical reason, he just refused.”
Jonathan Slawinski, defending, explained that his client had been out that evening to celebrate landing a significant job in Dubai.
He said: “He’d eaten, he’d drunk and he miscalculated. Police stopped him and the irony of the case is he complied at the roadside.
“He cannot give a reason why he said no at the police station other than he wasn’t thinking straight and he just refused.” They told him that even though the offence had reached the community penalty bracket they felt that probation had little to offer him by way of rehabilitation.
Chairwoman of the bench Kathryn Beney said: “We feel in view of your employment situation that an uplift in fine – of £2,500 – would be more appropriate.”
Collins was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and £170 victim surcharge and was banned from driving for 28 months. Mrs Beney added: “It would have been a lot less serious had you done the breath test.”
It would have been a lot less serious had you
done the breath test