Man in court after failing to give police a breath test

DRIVING AFTER THREE PINTS WAS A ‘POOR DECISION’

A COMPANY director failed to give police a breath test for analysis at a police station after he drove after having three pints at a pub.

Lockdown in the UK was looming as Alex Sparrow visited a pub after going to see a solicitor about his divorce.

It was the week before tough lockdown measures were imposed.

He later told a probation officer it was “quite an impulsive decision”, Nottingham Magistrates’ Court heard.

He had not given much thought as to how much he was going to drink and had the three pints over four hours.

He did not feel he was excessively intoxicated but recognised in hindsight it was a poor decision and there were a number of ways he could have got home that night.

He failed a road side test with 51 micrograms alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath in Mansfield on March 18.

At a police station, he was given multiple opportunities to provide a specimen but wanted to speak to a duty solicitor before he was prepared to give one.

Andrew Bevan, mitigating, said Sparrow was pulled over because he indicated left but he did not take the turn and continued down the dual carriageway.

During the roadside test there was a dispute over the test equipment between the police and Sparrow, so he asked to speak to a duty solicitor before taking any further tests at the police station. Mr Bevan said: “He wanted to find out what the actual procedure was.” Sparrow decided to return to his cell and “accepts that was an error on his part”, said Mr Bevan.

Sparrow, who had no previous reprimands or cautions, is a director of a building contractor specialist, the court was told.

Sparrow, 44, of Water Lane, Cromford, Matlock, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

He received a community order for 18 months, 60 hours of unpaid work, a 17-month driving ban and orders to pay costs of £85 and a £95 victim surcharge. He has been offered a drink-driver rehabilitation course which would reduce his driving ban if completed by a set date.