Chesterfield war veteran drove while twice over the limit following row

Glen Cheetham, 35, was stopped by police after they were called at around 3.20am on New Year’s Day to reports of a man and woman arguing.

Prosecutor Kathryn Wilson told Chesterfield Magistrates Court how police heard the female was “trying to stop the male driving off in a vehicle”.

She said: “When police attended they could smell alcohol - at the roadside Mr Cheetham admitted having had a drink.”

The court heard Cheetham gave a reading of 78 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - putting him twice over the drink drive limit.

Cheetham’s solicitor Steve Brint, mitigating for his client, said: “Mr Cheetham is 35 and spent the early part of his life in the military.

“He has served in war-torn countries such as Iran and Afghanistan.”

However Mr Brint said Cheetham had left the Army while suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, having been “blown-up” by an improvised explosive device.

Mr Brint read out glowing references from Cheetham’s employer - who described him as a “consistent” hard worker who had endured “extremely hard and testing times”.

However, banning Cheetham from driving for 16 months, District Judge Jonathan Taaffe told him: “This is inexplicable - you’ve put yourself where you have been in control of a lethal weapon while double over the drink drive limit.”

Cheetham, of Rotherham Road, Clowne, admitted drink driving.

He was also fined £400, made to pay £85 court costs and a £40 victim surcharge.

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