Young drink driver had ‘decided to chance it’
ADRIVER who drank five cans of lager crashed on his way home after deciding to ‘chance it’, a court heard.
Luke McGinty was driving his Audi A3 along Bacup Road in Waterfoot at around 12.15am on Friday, March 9, when he crashed into a grass verge.
Prosecutor Andrew Robinson told Burnley Magistrates Court how the 23-year-old stayed at the scene and called police to report the collision.
McGinty was breathalised when officers arrived and gave a reading of 58mg in 100ml - the legal limit is 35mg. The court heard how was arrested and formally interviewed by police the next day.
Mr Robinson said the defendant told officers that he had drunk five cans of lager in a pub and ‘thought he might have been over the limit but said he would chance it’.
He said: “[McGinty] accepts he had perhaps been going too fast and the road was slippy and it resulted in him having the accident.
“He called the police one minute after the collision because he felt his car was in a dangerous position.”
The court heard how noone else was in the car and no other vehicles were involved.
McGinty, of Hightown Road, Whitewell Bottom, pleaded guilty to drink driving and was banned for 16 months, reduced by 16 weeks if he completes a course approved by the secretary of state. He was also fined £253 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
Jeremy Frain, defending, said the offence is ‘totally out of character’ and he deserved full credit for his early guilty plea.
He said: “He fully cooperated with the police. Without prompting he confirmed that he had been drinking prior to the crash and had not consumed any alcohol since. He felt his car could cause a danger to other road users and it was the right thing to do to call the police. He waited for the police at the roadside.
“[Losing his driving licence] will impact on his employment. He wishes to avail himself of the drink driving rehabilitation scheme.”
Magistrates said it was the ‘wrong decision to chance it’.