Ban for motorist caught moving his car from pub

HE WAS THREE TIMES OVER LIMIT

A MAN has been banned from driving for two years after he was caught moving his car from a pub car park while he was more than three times the legal limit.

Kane Jones was on a night out with friends he had not seen in some time when he was warned he could not leave his car where it was.

At 11.45pm, the 32-year-old, of Bassett Street, South Wigston made the “foolish” decision to drive his car to another parking spot nearby, a court heard.

However, police spotted him almost immediately as he was driving “at speed and with no lights on”, a court heard.

Jones appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court to admit a single charge of drink-driving.

Prosecutor Stacey Mills told the court the incident happened in Eastleigh, in Hampshire on Saturday, August 22, where he was visiting family.

She said: “Police saw a black Honda Civic travelling at speed with no lights on. They signalled for the driver to stop, which he did. He told the officers he’d had two or three beers in the past 20 minutes.”

Officers noticed he was slurring his speech and smelled of alcohol so he was tested at the roadside. He gave a reading of 104mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath - the legal limit is 35mg.

He was tested again in custody and this time gave a higher reading of 117mg, Ms Mills said.

His solicitor David Hallmark told the court: “He had met up with some friends he had not seen in some time and they went for a drink.

“He made the foolish decision to move his car after he was told it could not remain in the car park.

“It was his intention to drive a very short distance to park his car in a more appropriate area.

“Initially, he thought he drove around 200 or 300 metres, although I think on the best estimate it was slightly more than that, but not significantly more. This man is truly apologetic and is ashamed of what happened on that day.

“The inevitable disqualification from driving will hit him very hard.”

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for two years and ordered him to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £95.

His disqualification period will be reduced by a quarter if he completes a drink-drive awareness course.