A “PILLAR of the community” who caused a crash after drinking too much port during a business lunch has been fined �1,400.David Anderson, of The Street in Kersey, admitted being over the limit when his Suzuki Jimny collided head on with a passenger-carrying Nissan Micra on the B1071 at Polstead, near Hadleigh, on December 22 last year.

A “PILLAR of the community” who caused a crash after drinking too much port during a business lunch has been fined �1,400.

David Anderson, of The Street in Kersey, admitted being over the limit when his Suzuki Jimny collided head on with a passenger-carrying Nissan Micra on the B1071 at Polstead, near Hadleigh, on December 22 last year.

Tests show he had 56mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, compared with the legal limit of 35mcg.

Magistrates in Bury St Edmunds yesterday banned Anderson from driving for 16 months, fined him �1,400 and ordered him to pay prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of �75.

The court heard how the 71-year-old, who is the chairman of his own London-based company and held a number of key posts at major financial organisations before semi-retiring, had drunk half a bottle of wine and two or three glasses of port during a business lunch in London before returning by train to Colchester and then on to home in Suffolk by car.

Kevin Lowson, prosecuting, said Anderson pulled out onto the road and collided with the Nissan car.

He said a member of the public saw an elderly man leaving the scene of the crash.

“He thought the road was clear so he pulled out. He said he had never been involved in an accident until that evening.”

The court was told how Anderson had an “impeccable character”, was a “pillar of the community” and how the offence “was completely out of character” and would “never happen again”.

Anderson served in the army before moving to India to start an illustrious career in finance.

During his career, he held a number of directorships of companies was a committee member of trade associations and was involved in both charitable causes and the church, the court heard.

Anderson, described in court as a “man of means”, paid his fines in full yesterday and is considering undertaking a drink-drive rehabilitation course which would cut his driving ban by four months.