Community order and ban for driver

A MAN has been sentenced for driving offences in Burghfield, following a police investigation.

James Davies, 47, of Coniston Drive in Reading, was sentenced to a community order.

He will have to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay costs £889 and was disqualified from driving for two years and six months.

Last year, officers were called to a report of an abandoned vehicle that had been left in the middle of the road on Berrys Lane at about 6pm on September 10.

Thames Valley Police said it appeared that the vehicle had been in single vehicle road traffic collision.

After a search of the area, the suspected driver of the vehicle, Mr Davies, was located.

He refused to provide a road side breath test and was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

Later at Loddon Valley police station, he again failed to provide an evidential sample and was charged with the offences.

Following a one-day trial at Reading Magistrates’ Court, Mr Davies was found guilty of one count of failure to cooperate with a preliminary test and one count of failure to provide specimen for analysis.

Mr Davies was convicted on March 27.

Investigating officer PC James Houghton said: “I am pleased that James Davies was found guilty of the offences and given a significant community order sentence, fined and has been banned from driving for two-and-a-half years.

“Drink and drug driving are one of the fatal four, which are the main cause of deaths on our roads, the others being excessive speed, using a mobile phone while driving and not wearing a seatbelt.”

He added: “Alcohol effects everyone differently, so please do not drink and drive.

“If you have a drink on a night out, or even at home, do not consider driving a car.

“It’s not worth the risk.”