A Carlisle factory employee who was more than four times the legal drink-drive limit after parking up at his place of work has heard he could face a prison sentence.
Mark Smith, 48, was caught on camera committing the offence on the evening of May 6.
Two police officers on duty at 8.50pm were made aware of an ongoing incident at a nearby factory in the Brunel Way area.
A member of staff had undergone an internal alcohol testing procedure and provided a positive result.
Police were greeted by a staff member on the site gate who reported a male they had in their security booth smelled of alcohol. Smith had arrived at the site in a Renault Clio.
“They reviewed CCTV which showed the defendant parking the vehicle before getting out and walking into the factory,” prosecutor Pam Ward told Carlisle Magistrates’ Court.
“Mr Smith was spoken to and stated yes, he had driven to work. He was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.”
Smith failed an initial breath test and the lower of two further evidential readings given at a police station showed he had 141 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
A man of previous good character, Smith, of Union Road, Gretna, admitted a drink-driving charge. He was not represented by a solicitor and listened as magistrates concluded they would seek a background report before passing sentence.
Explaining the ench’s powers of sentence to Smith, lead magistrate Lynne Gauntlett told him: “The starting point for this offence is 12 weeks’ custody.
“We can go from a (range of) high level community order to 26 weeks’ custody, and a significant driving disqualification.”
Smith’s case was adjourned to June 28. He was bailed in the meantime and handed an interim driving ban.
