Ex-rugby ace drove 29-ton lorry drunk
AFORMER Wales international rugby player has been jailed after driving a lorry while more than four times over the drink-drive limit on Saturday.
Andrew Allen, who was capped for Wales three times in 1990, admitted drinking a bottle of vodka the night before driving from south Wales to Devon, where he was found by police in a lay-by near Chudleigh.
Allen, of Orchard Lane, Newport, said he had consumed the vodka the night before making the journey.
Agency driver Allen, 51, set off from his home for work the following morning to make a delivery to Tesco.
Plymouth Magistrates’ Court heard that fellow motorists raised the alarm and called 999 when they saw the lorry swerving between lanes on the A38 towards Plymouth.
The court heard Allen was found by police and an officer had to help him to the patrol car because he could not walk. The former rugby player, who had no previous convictions, tested positive for alcohol and was taken to a police station where he underwent another breath test just after 3pm, magistrates were told.
Prosecutor Caroline Gates said Allen was found to have 150mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
Ms Gates said this was “an extraordinarily high reading”, and said: “We’re very, very lucky that I’m not here to tell you about a serious road traffic accident.”
Ms Gates said Allen told police he was “ashamed of himself and was sorry”.
A probation officer told the court that the night before making the journey Allen had drunk an entire bottle of vodka and stayed up until 3am.
The officer said he headed to work at around 10.45am and did not experience symptoms of a hangover. After the lane deviation alarm went off in his cab “a couple of times”, he pulled over.
The probation officer said Allen appeared “very remorseful” and recognised the consequences of his actions.
He noted that Allen’s use of alcohol had increased in recent months, that he had felt “very low” and had begun drinking “secretively”.
Andrea Parsons, defending, said Allen was “absolutely distraught” at his actions and was “mindful it could’ve been so much worse”. She said Allen effectively had a “meltdown” on Friday and had been increasingly suffering with mental health issues.
Ms Parsons said: “This is a man who has never been in trouble in his life”.
She said he had lost a substantial amount of weight in recent months and had convinced himself he was suffering from cancer. Ms Parsons said he had a phobia of doctors and had refused to seek any medical help, but the matter came to a head at a reunion.
Ms Parsons said: “At the reunion everybody was commenting on the way he was presenting and were very worried.”
The court was told Allen had been driving professionally “for decades” and “never had a penalty point on his licence”.
Allen was jailed for 16 weeks as a result of the incident, which saw him drive a 29.7-tonne lorry on the M4, M5 and A38.
Allen was given credit for his early guilty plea.
He was disqualified from driving for 164 weeks and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115.