Steel worker ‘has to sell house’ after crashing into bridge
A STEELWORKS supervisor says he will have to sell his house after drunkenly crashing into a railway bridge.
Rhys Hopkins, who works at Tata Steel in Port Talbot, was driving his Mazda at 3am on February 9 when he hit the bridge at Lon Derw, Ynysawdre, Bridgend.
Shortly after the crash it was reported that the driver had “legged it” from the scene before he was “found crying” nearby with his keys in his pocket.
The 33-year-old, of Tymeinwr Avenue in Blaengarw, appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court and admitted driving with 92mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
Prosecutor Jack Stanley said: “Mr Hopkins came to the attention of police due to calls from concerned members of the public who had witnessed him crashing into the bridge at 3am. One described to police a bearded male walking towards the Brynmenyn area. A police dog handler went in search.”
The dog handler found Hopkins standing outside a nearby pub with the Mazda keys in his pocket. He told police he had driven while drunk.
Hopkins, who has no previous convictions, had been drinking at The Roof pub in Bridgend before the crash, his lawyer Philip Thomas told the court.
Mr Thomas said: “He had parked his car in a nearby car park. He says he would normally have taken a taxi home, but with his judgement clouded by drink, he tried to drive home and didn’t succeed. We cannot walk away from the aggravating features, which are the level of alcohol and the collision... He expressed remorse in his police interview.”
Hopkins, whose car was written off, earns £2,500 a month and owns his house. He works 12-hour shifts at Tata Steel.
“He lives in Blaengarw,” Mr Thomas added.
“There is no train station there. He will not be able to drive to work [once banned]. He says to me that because he has a good job, he is going to have to sell his property and buy a new one nearer his work.
“This foolishness has caused him a great deal of difficulty. He is a thoroughly decent man who works hard, and is now in jeopardy both financially and in terms of his home.”
Presiding magistrate Samantha Pascoe asked Hopkins to speak to a probation officer and after interviewing the defendant, the probation officer told the court that Hopkins had been in a “low period” at the time of the offence.
He continued: “That is why he was drinking at the pub. He is unsure how much, but he admits he had whiskey and lager. He is unsure why he decided to enter the vehicle in the first place. He doesn’t remember getting into the car, which I think reflects his level of intoxication.
“He says he often thinks of drinkdrivers: ‘What idiots.’ And he is now in that category himself. It has opened his eyes to his drinking.”
The probation officer said Hopkins recognises the need for action and he plans to join Alcoholics Anonymous.
Mr Thomas noted his client had not shared with him these insights into the alcohol problem. “Perhaps the probation officer’s approach was better than mine, in the sense my client was able to open up about his drinking,” said the lawyer.
Passing sentence Ms Pascoe said: “This has been a horrendous ordeal for you but you know yourself that you could be dealing with a completely different set of consequences if someone had got hurt.”
She imposed a 23-month driving ban and a 12-month community order including 10 rehab activity days. The ban will be cut by a quarter if Hopkins completes a drink-driving awareness course. He must pay a £500 fine, £95 in prosecution costs and £34 victim services surcharge.