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Drunk driver was ‘celebrating his divorce’

A man caught driving while drunk told magistrates he had been celebrating his recent divorce.

The 59 year-old was spotted by a passer-by bumping his car into another vehicle in Torquay, Devon, and then staggering into a supermarket to buy more alcohol. He returned to his girlfriend’s home to continue his celebrations and was arrested shortly afterwards.

Appearing in court earlier this month, he told magistrates:

“I was celebrating my divorce — it had cost me £13,000.”

He had “only nudged” the other vehicle, he claimed, and left his name on the windshield.

The man pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and driving ‘with excess alcohol’.

He claimed not to have been aware that he was banned from driving at the time of the incident and insisted that he had stopped drinking.

But the clerk pointed out that she could smell alcohol on the man’s breath while he stood in the dock.

The man then admitted:

“I still have a glass of wine. I had two glasses of wine last night to get back to sleep again.”

Magistrates jailed the man for 16 weeks and disqualified him for three and a half years.

The blog team at Stowe is a group of writers based across our family law offices who share their advice on the wellbeing and emotional aspects of divorce or separation from personal experience. As well as pieces from our family law solicitors, guest contributors also regularly contribute to share their knowledge.

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Comments(2)

  1. Andrew says:

    The clerk was not a witness and had no business saying any such thing,

  2. Andy says:

    £13.000..That’s cheap… I understand his delight in his divorce…Just as all men would do…
    Bit silly to drive tho…
    Oh well,what is the worst that can happen now.
    Get married again….never…Haha…must of got a good solicitor for that cost…everyone else gets twice that cost even before court…Haha..

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