Drink driver smashed into parked car

A DRINK driver is today banned from getting behind the wheel after admitting being so drunk he smashed into a parked car before ploughing into a hedge.

Father-of-three Simon Morley, of Nedging Road, Nedging Tye, has been banned from driving for two years and ordered to pay more than £1,500 after admitting driving with excess alcohol and failing to stop after an accident.

South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court heard that the 40-year-old drove his Mercedes C250 through East Bergholt and Brantham despite having 110 microgrammes of alcohol in 100millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

Dawson got behind the wheel late on July 6 after attending a colleague's leaving celebration in the afternoon and later going to a bar near his London work.

He further topped up his alcohol limit by drinking on the train on his way back to Suffolk.

As he drove home at about 10.45pm he crashed into the back of a red Nissan Micra parked in a lay-by in Bergholt Road, Brantham. Residents saw him as he drove away and gave chase.

They found him about a half a mile away on Manningtree Road in East Bergholt where he had crashed into a hedge.

In a letter to District Judge David Cooper, Morley said he was “eternally grateful” he hadn't injured anyone in the accident he caused. He also said he had not had a drink since the day of the accident.

Charles Riddleston, mitigating, told Wednesday's hearing that Morley had “made a bad error of judgement”.

Judge Cooper commended Morley for the remorse he had shown since the accident.

He told him: “I'm impressed by what has been said on your behalf. You realise what an incredibly dangerous thing you did and now what hardship it is going to inflict on you and your family.”

For drink driving, Morley was fined £1,000, had his licence endorsed and was disqualified from driving for two years.

For failing to stop after an accident he was fined a further £500.

In addition he was ordered to pay £45 prosecution costs and a £15 court surcharge.

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