Soldier in drink drive shame
A SOLDIER is today banned from the roads after he was caught driving while twice the drink drive limit.
A SOLDIER is today banned from the roads after he was caught driving while twice the drink drive limit.
Christopher Parsons, who drives HGVs and maintains them for the army at the Rock Barracks at Woodbridge admitted driving while over the limit and was given a 20-month disqualification at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court.
The court heard on Tuesday how Parsons, who lives at Rock Barracks and has been with armed forces for two and a half years, had been drinking with friends in Ipswich the previous night on October 27.
When he woke up the next day at about 5am, he decided to head out to buy some cigarettes from a service station.
It was as the 20-year-old was driving his Vauxhall Corsa along the A12 that he was spotted by police.
Prosecuting David Hutson said: “The defendant's car was initially spotted going quite fast.
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“Officers followed the car and noticed it swerved and narrowly missed a slow moving moped. Officers stopped the vehicle and he failed the road side breath test.”
It was discovered that he had 71mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
Mitigating Ian Duckworth said: “He is clearly well thought of. [This offence] will have an effect on his career.
“It is going to be a double jeopardy.”
Magistrate Bernard Hindesoffered him a drink drivers rehabilitation course which will reduce his ban by five months. He was also fined £220, ordered to pay costs of £43 and a victim surcharge of £15.
