A drink-driver who opened a can of lager during his journey home from work has been fined and banned from the road.
Scott Grainger, 37, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court today after committing the offence on Monday June 30.
Police initially received reports of poor driving in relation to a silver Renault Megane heading west on the A69 towards Brampton.
Officers travelled to a roundabout close to the village of Linstock, near Carlisle, to make observations.
The Megane was then seen stationary in a layby. As police approached they saw Grainger getting out of the vehicle.
He provided a positive roadside breath test. The lower of two evidential readings given at a police station showed 60 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
When interviewed by police, Grainger, of Orchard Road, Wigton, spoke of calling off at a petrol station shop east of Brampton during his journey him from work in Durham, and of buying four cans of Peroni lager.
“He said he thought he would crack one open,” said prosecutor Diane Jackson. “He was asked whether he intended to drink them all. He said ‘not really, but I did’.”
In court, Grainger admitted a drink-driving charge.
Grainger, who held a full driving licence with no endorsements, was not represented in court by a solicitor. During a brief address to magistrates, he confirmed that he took no issue with the prosecutor’s outline of events. “No. That’s exactly how it happened,” he said.
Grainger was fined £138, must pay £85 prosecution costs and a £55 mandatory surcharge.
He was also banned from getting behind the wheel for 19 months but has been offered a drink-drive rehabilitation course. If completed within the required timescale, this will reduce the length of his disqualification by 19 weeks.
Lead magistrate Christopher Drouet told Grainger: “I’m sure you regret drinking cans of lager mid-journey.”
