A Carlisle man has pleaded guilty to drink-driving while almost three-times above the legal limit.
Donald Ian Whyte 56, gave his address as Hamilton Drive, Carlisle when he appeared in front of District Judge Gerald Chalk at Carlisle Magistrates Court in Rickergate today (TUES).
The offence took place on April 6 while he was driving a BMW 420i on the B5305 road between Hutton to Catterlen nr Penrith, the court was told an unmarked police car witnessed the BMW swerving from side to side and over the white line markings.
When the BMW was stopped the officer spoke to Whyte and he smelt alcohol on his breath, he then failed a road side breath-test and was arrested.
At the police station he gave and adventitial breathalyser test with a reading of 102 microgram’s of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath almost three times above the legal limit of 35.
Rachel Dixon for Whyte told the judge he had drank two-glasses of wine some twenty minutes before he had been stopped, but admitted he had drank alcohol the night before, but he thought he was still okay to drive.
The judge said he must be disqualified, as the amount of alcohol in his system was high, and while driving he could have been a danger to other road users, he was disqualified for a period of 24-months, also a Community Order was imposed of a electronically tagged house curfew between 8am and 6am for six-weeks, he has to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a victims surcharge of £95.
He was informed he could attend the drink-drivers rehabilitation course and this could reduce his ban by 24-weeks.
