Booze-fuelled crash driver was also 16 times over the drug-drive limit

A booze-and-drug fuelled driver who was involved in a crash with a taxi was 16 times over the drug-drive limit and nearly three times over the drink-drive limit.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on July 6 how William Joseph Shaw, 34, of Catherine Street, Brampton, Chesterfield, was involved in a collision with a taxi at the junction of Fairfield Road and Hawksley Avenue, in Chesterfield.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “There was a road traffic collision about 4am, on April 30. Two witnesses in the back of a taxi driving up West Street described seeing a vehicle coming to the junction on the wrong side of the road and pulling out into the path of the taxi causing a collision. The passengers suffered whiplash.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Police revealed Shaw had slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet and due to a fault with a breathalyser machine blood was taken and the drink-drive reading was 229milligrammes of alcohol in 100millilitres of blood when the limit is 80milligrammes.

Shaw was also registered as being 16 times over the specified limit for driving with cocaine in the body, according to Mrs Allsop.

The defendant told police he had been drinking since 6pm and he had used a taxi initially and had three pints of lager and went to a friend’s home to watch the Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko boxing fight.

He added that he had five more cans of drink and he had used cocaine before the boxing started just after 10pm.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Shaw added that he had set off walking to arrange to meet his sister and go to a party but he had decided to drive.

Mrs Allsop added: “He said he should never have got into the car and it was the stupidest idea he has ever had.”

Shaw pleaded guilty to exceeding the drug-drive limit, exceeding the drink-drive limit and admitted using a vehicle without an MOT test certificate.

Defence solicitor Annis Rowlands said Shaw is a shift worker for an engineering company and he is a family man with a wife and child.

Magistrates sentenced Shaw to 16 weeks of custody suspended for 12 months. He was also disqualified from driving for 36 months.

Shaw was also ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge and £85 costs.