Drink-driver was caught after he had a small bump with another vehicle

A drink-driver who had been boozing the night before was caught over the limit after he had small bump with another vehicle.
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Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on March 13 how Michael Hawkins, 52, of The Parkway, Darley Dale, Matlock, was driving a Kia Sportage on Wellington Street and on to Bank Road, at Matlock, about 8am when a vehicle behind collided into his vehicle.

Prosecuting solicitor Robert Carr said it was a low-speed collision with little or no damage but Hawkins was found to be over the limit after a member of the public followed him to point out that he needed to return to the scene of the collision.

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Mr Carr said: “A member of the public followed him and when he stopped he was advised to return to the scene and exchange details.”

A drink-drive breathalyser.A drink-drive breathalyser.
A drink-drive breathalyser.

Police were alerted and Hawkins failed a roadside breath test and gave a reading at the police station of 63 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Hawkins told police he had been unaware of the impact with the other vehicle and thought the noise had been his gearbox.

The defendant pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit after the incident on February 26.

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Defence solicitor David Gittins said Hawkins had been drinking the night before with friends and he had been setting off to work the next day when the collision happened.

Mr Gittins added that it had been busy on the roads and another vehicle had come towards him and he had to brake and there was a bump from behind from another vehicle.

The court heard engineer Hawkins’s work could be in jeopardy because the offence will mean a drink-drive ban and he will not be able to drive and could lose his job.

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Magistrates fined Hawkins £500 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £50 victim surcharge.

He was also disqualified from driving for 17 months but can reduce his ban by 18 weeks if he completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course.