Trooper banned for drink-driving

A WATTISHAM air trooper has been banned from driving after reversing his car five yards while drunk.

Adam Mills, 25, who is a member of the army ground crew at the air base, was found asleep in the driver's seat of his car with his seat belt on in Ipswich.

And because he drove the short distance he was ordered to pay a hefty £343 and banned from driving for a year.

Mills pleaded guilty to driving a car while over the alcohol limit at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court

On May 4 this year Mills, of Maylon Road, Hadleigh, had gone to Liquid nightclub in Ipswich to find his girlfriend.

Police officers had seen that he was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred and so watched him while the bouncers went in to the club to search for his girlfriend.

The bouncers at the nightclub in Cardinal Park were unsuccessful in finding his girlfriend and as Mills left he was followed by the police officers.

They saw the now married man get in to his white Renault Clio, which was parked in a car park in Cardinal Street, and reverse it five yards.

When they moved closer to the car they saw Mills had fallen asleep with his seat belt on.

Mills was asked to give a breath test which showed he had 81 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35 microgrammes. Roger Thompson in mitigation said that Mills had a clean driving licence and that if he was given a lengthy ban he could lose his job as an air trooper in the army at Wattisham or at least have his chances of promotion reduced.

Mr Thompson said: "It will put back his promotional prospects for a long time as he was to go on a promotional course in January."

Michael Hilton, chairman of the bench, said: "We're going to be extremely lenient, we're going to ban you for 12 months, when we should have banned you for 24."

Mills was also fined £225 and ordered to pay £118 in court costs, he was also put on a three-month rehabilitation course.

Mills made no comment as he left the court.