Scratchcard player caught drink-driving after he collects winnings

An unlucky scratchcard player got more than he bargained for when he returned to a petrol station to collect his winnings and was caught drink-driving.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court recently heard how Graham Rankin, 47, of Garden Crescent, South Normanton, was on his way back home with his winnings when he was stopped by police and found to be just over three times the legal drink-drive limit.

Prosecuting solicitor Neil Hollett told the court hearing on August 23: “Police received an anonymous report of a male driving under the influence of drink and he had gone to a shop to buy more alcohol.”

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Police monitored the defendant, according to Mr Hollett, at a petrol station at South Normanton until he was returning to his address in a Kia Sportage and he was stopped by police and smelled of alcohol.

Rankin registered 110microgrammes of alcohol in 100millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35microgrammes. The defendant pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit and admitted driving without insurance after the incident on August 5.

Defence solicitor Bertie Mather said: “He had visited the garage in question and bought four cans of lager and he had bought a scratchcard after walking there and walking back home.

“Looking at the card he realised he had won a reasonable amount of money and decided to go back to the garage to claim the money and divide it out among his children. He got into the vehicle he had been working on and that he had been in the process of buying from a friend and he was stopped by police just a quarter of a mile from his home.”

The case was adjourned until August 25 when magistrates fined Rankin £120 and ordered him to pay an £85 victim surcharge and £85 costs. He was also disqualified from driving for 27 months.

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