Caught drink-driving after only 150 yards

A Polsham man who had intended to ride his bike home after a night of drinking ended up getting in his work van and driving 150 yards before being stopped by police.

Kristofer Gibson pleaded guilty to the charge of drink-driving when he appeared at Frome Magistrates Court last Friday.

The court was told that Gibson was more than twice the legal limit after being stopped by police just after midnight on Sunday, October 24.

Jeremy Oliver, prosecuting, told magistrates that Gibson had been out with friends in Glastonbury and had consumed about five or six pints of lager.

At 12.10am he had walked back to his boss’s house to pick up his bike but found the house in darkness, could not find his key to the garage where the bike was kept and made the decision to drive the work van the two miles back to his home.

Police spotted Gibson driving without any lights and when they went to speak him they found that his speech was slurred and eyes glazed.

A roadside breath test recorded 74mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

George Hawkes, defending said that Gibson was kicking himself for his stupidity and that he had never been in trouble before.

Mr Hawkes said that because of the incident Gibson’s future was in doubt and that he had not gone out to intentionally drive.

Magistrates disqualified Gibson for 20 months, fined him £400 and he was ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

He was told that if he completed a drink-drive rehabilitation his driving ban would be reduced by 152 days.