Taxi Driver Online

I don't drink, but I would need to drink two bottles of whiskey before I could listen to that fella.

Former Lowestoft pub landlord banned from driving by court

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/26247379.fo ... ing-court/

A taxi driver and former pub landlord was caught listening to Jeremy Vine on the radio in his cab while almost four times over the legal alcohol limit, a court has heard.

Shaun Waters, 49, admitted being "intoxicated" while sitting in the driver's seat of his Volkswagen Passat outside a convenience store in Lowestoft on June 2.

Waters, ex-landlord of the Norman Warrior pub in Lowestoft, had been drinking miniatures of Fireball spirit after receiving news he had a severe medical condition.

Dylan Ward-Mutagh, prosecuting, said: "Police were called to the location regarding reports of the male in a taxi who was believed to be under the influence of alcohol.

"Police located the vehicle where they noticed empty bottles of alcohol outside the vehicle.

"The person sat in the driver's seat appeared intoxicated and the engine was left on.

"He may have been intoxicated while carrying passengers."

Police found Waters, who ran the Norman Warrior pub for 19 years, outside the Jug & Bottle Premier convenience store on Ipswich Road.

He had been drinking heavily after being diagnosed with discitis, an infection of the disc space between the spinal bones.

Waters, who had a licence with the local council as a taxi driver, failed a roadside breath test with a reading of 111 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

His lowest reading in custody was 128 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath - the legal alcohol limit while being in charge of a motor vehicle is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

Rob Barley, mitigating, said: "There were no other passengers and he had simply parked up.

"Nobody had seen him drive to the location and he was simply sitting in the driving seat.

"On the date concerned he had received some further bad news about his health. He got in the car, was listening to Jeremy Vine on the radio and was drinking as a result of the bad news he received.

"It was that news that resulted in him falling off the wagon."

Waters, of Somerton Avenue in Lowestoft, was disqualified from driving for six months.

He was also fined £146, must pay a victim surcharge of £58 and prosecution costs of £85.

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IDFIMH

For those thinking the minimum ban for drink driving is 12 months, they will be glad to know they are correct.

This fella was found guilty of being drunk in charge; it appears no one saw him driving whilst drunk.

However, he was sitting in the car with the engine running, which is why he was charged with that offence.

If his alcohol level had been a lot nearer the legal limit he could have ended up with just 10 points.

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IDFIMH