Boston man was more than twice legal limit when breathalysed

Gary Doughty, 33, of Brewster Road, admitted driving with excess alcohol when he appeared before magistrates in the town, after his girlfriend telephoned police because she was worried about him.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, said police found the vehicle with its headlights on and with Doughty in it parked in Wellington Road on Boxing Day in the early evening. Doughty’s breath test had a reading of 83 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, more than twice the legal limit of 35.

In mitigation, Philippa Chatterton said Doughty was experiencing depression, for which he was medicated. She said he had consumed alcohol on his way back and felt suicidal and had rung his girlfriend.

He was only 100 metres from home and was drinking in his car where it was parked and had intended to walk the last 100 metres. “The reading would have been far lower when he was actually driving,” she said.

The magistrates said they would ban Doughty from driving for the minimum period allowed for his reading which was 17 months, but offered him the drink drivers’ rehabilitation course which will reduce the period of the ban by 17 weeks.

He was also fined £120 with £115 costs and charges.