Drunk driver faces £6,000 bill after detour along tram line
A “FOOLISH” Mercedes driver who was over double the drink-drive limit caused hours of disruption after blundering on to a tram track in an error that his lawyer admits will “hit him in the pocket”.
Maurice Cooney was forced to raise the alarm at an office building after getting stranded on a tram-only section of the Midland Metro, causing five hours of disruption to services and £6,000 of damage to his week-old Mercedes.
Birmingham magistrates’ court was told that Cooney failed a breath test, which showed a reading of 86mcg – more than double the legal limit of 35mcg – after driving for 100 yards along the tracks at about 7am on Nov 6.
The 33-year-old, of Telford, Shrops, admitted drink-driving, having no insurance and causing a danger or inconvenience by obstructing the tracks near Birmingham’s Snow Hill tram stop.
His solicitor, Harjit Rashoda, told the court: “This is a gentleman entitled to full credit for his guilty pleas. He went to a nearby building and located a porter and alerted them to the fact that the vehicle was stuck on the tram lines. He told them to call the police.”
Cooney had been on a night out with friends in Birmingham but “foolishly made the decision to get up and drive his vehicle home”, his lawyer said.
Ms Rashoda said the £6,000 repairs to Cooney’s car were “going to hit him in the pocket”.