Man, 20, crashed family firm’s van after a night out
A YOUNG man crashed a van belonging to his family’s landscaping firm after drinking.
Daniel Paxman lost control of the vehicle and careered into a wall following a night out in Holmfirth.
The incident proved costly for the 20-yearold as it will hamper his progression within the family firm, Kirklees magistrates were told.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while over the prescribed limit.
Police were out dealing with an unrelated incident when they came across the collision scene on Penistone Road on December 27.
Vanessa Jones, prosecuting, said: “As they travelled towards Holmfirth centre they saw the Ford Transit van on its side obstructing the road.
“The officers spoke to the driver, who was with his brother. He said he’d been driving out of Holmfirth towards Lepton.
“He lost control and the van crashed into a wall before toppling onto its side.
“Both airbags had been deployed and they could smell alcohol on his breath.”
Paxman was arrested and breath tests showed that he had 55 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit being 35 microgrammes.
Magistrates heard that he had left a family party in Holmfirth and decided to drive the few miles home instead of leaving the vehicle in the car park.
Jeremy Cook, mitigating, said: “He went around the corner, a car veered slightly towards him and as a result he lost control of the company van.
“It’s a costly mistake. He works hard in the family landscaping business and it relies on his ability to drive the van to take materials and visit site to site.
“That’s a vocation that will no longer be open to him. It’s with disappointment and regret he’d had to bring his parents into the matter.
“He will retain his job but opportunities moving up will be curtailed for some time.
“The decision not to leave the van at the car park in Holmfirth is something that will remain with him.”
Magistrates banned Paxman, of Gawthorpe Lane in Lepton, from driving for 16 months. He was fined £200 and will have to pay £85 court costs and £32 victim surcharge.