Banking heir’s drink-drive ban – after phoning police himself!
BanKinG heir charlie Mills always seemed so sure of himself on Made in chelsea, but he cut a confused figure in court yesterday when he faced a drink-driving charge.
The 25-year- old reality television star, whose family helped create the private bank Glyn, Mills & co, changed his plea to guilty after Westminster Magistrates’ court heard that he had called the police himself.
Mills dialled 101 after drunkenly falling out of his black two-litre range rover and hitting his head in the early hours of March 13.
he was stopped at 1.30am near Fulham’s swanky hurlingham club, of which he is a member.
Wearing a light grey double-breasted suit with white shirt and blue tie, Mills gave his address as lound hall in nottinghamshire — a £ 4 million, 70-room country house, built in the Georgian style in the Thirties for mining heir sir harald Peake.
initially, Mills pleaded not guilty to driving with 78 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
however, unimpressed District Judge Michael snow suggested he reconsider his plea and Mills later switched it to guilty.
The court viewed police bodycam footage of his arrest and he could be heard explaining: ‘i fell out of the car with my phone and i really f***ing hurt my head there. i called your 101 people.’
When asked if he had been drinking, Mills replied: ‘not an exceptional amount, not enough to be over,’ indicating he had consumed four gin and tonics up to two hours previously. however, after giving a roadside breath-test Mills can be heard on the footage saying: ‘Yeah, that’s way over. i’m going inside.’
he had driven to london to party with ‘ nine to ten friends’ at the Bluebird chelsea restaurant and then had more drinks at the ritz.
Mills claimed his teetotal pal alexander nall-cain, son and heir of former i’m a celebrity contestant lord Brocket, drove to the ritz and then to Fulham.
he also argued it was unfair for the police to have sat and waited for him to drive off after they responded to his 101 call.
Judge snow was not moved and fined Mills £1,100, with £85 costs, and ordered him to pay a £110 victim surcharge. he was also disqualified from driving for 18 months.