Boozy crash motorist is banned from the road after colliding with wall

A motorist who crashed into a wall has been banned from driving after he was found to be over the drink-drive limit.
Drink-drive breath test.Drink-drive breath test.
Drink-drive breath test.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Tuesday, August 15, how Mark Allan Haymes, 40, of Lynholmes Road, Matlock, had been driving a Land Rover Freelander before it collided with a dry-stone wall.

Prosecuting solicitor John Cooper said: “Police attended a single vehicle road traffic collision after a vehicle had made contact with a dry-stone wall. They attended and found a Land Rover Freelander on The Hill, at Cromford, with damage caused to the front of the vehicle and a nearside wheel and to the wall.”

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Haymes, who was with his father and brother, told police he had been drinking and his father and his brother had come to the crash scene to help him.

The defendant registered 52microgrammes of alcohol in 100millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35microgrammes.

Haymes pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit after the incident about 1am, on July 27.

Defence solicitor Bertie Mather said: “He had visited a friend that evening and had been drinking with him and he accepts that over the full evening he had about four pints of beer.

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“At the end of the evening it was suggested he stay at a friend’s house but pressured by work he felt it was important to return to get to work the following morning.

“This was a catastrophic mistake which he realises and he should never have attempted to drive.”

Mr Mather added that Haymes had been coming out of Wirksworth and there had been a huge amount of slurry in the road and as he went into the corner the vehicle slid and he lost control.

Magistrates fined Haymes £300 and ordered him to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

He was also banned from driving for 12 months but was given the option to complete a drink-drive rehabilitation course to reduce his ban by a quarter.