Man asleep in car after drinking half a bottle of rum is spared road ban

AMAN found by police asleep at the wheel of his car with the engine running after consuming half a bottle of rum has kept his licence.

Christopher James Howard Waddington, 50, of Oldham Street, Bollington was arrested by officers at the wheel of his vehicle on Bradgate Avenue, Heald Green in

the early hours of Thursday, August 8.

Concerned passers-by had contacted emergency services as the car’s engine had been idling for a long period of time.

When tested he was found to have 89 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35.

Defending solicitor Robert Lassey told Stockport Magistrates’ Court that the reason Waddington had found himself in this predicament was ‘an unfortunate chain of events’ that had started a week earlier.

Mr Lassey told the court that on August 1 while on a camping holiday in Anglesey with his partner and young son he had been informed that his house in Bollington had been severely flooded during rain storms.

Mr Lassey, said: “When they returned on August 3 the house was uninhabitable and he had lost a lot of personal possessions.

“A decision was made for the family to camp in the tent they had used on holiday in the front garden of his partner’s parent’s property.

“It was a difficult set of circumstances. Mr Waddington was working during the day and repairing his flood damaged home in the evening before sleeping in the tent with his family.

“During this stressful time tensions flared and he had a trivial argument with his partner about what to have for dinner.”

Mr Lassey said Waddington left the tent and drove away, not wanting to set a bad example for his child by arguing.

He then bought a bottle of rum from a Tesco store before parking on Bradgate Avenue, around the corner from his mother’s home and 15 minute’s walk from where his family was.

Mr Lassey said Waddington became upset when his partner failed to call him and ‘foolishly’ drank the rum

He said because he had left wearing flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt he had started the engine to keep warm.

Mr Lassey said: “He had no intention to drive. He was going to either walk to his mother’s or back to his partner’s parents.”

Waddington, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to a single count of being in charge of motor vehicle while above the alcohol limit.

The court heard that Waddington worked as a handy man in the Macclesfield area and a driving licence was crucial to that.

The chair of the bench said although it was ‘a very high reading’, Waddington ‘had his solicitor’s speech to thank’ for keeping his licence.

He was given 10 penalty points on his licence and fined £128.