Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver drunk twice in a week loses licence in Sandwell

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black- ... k-16777084

He has since seen his doctor and been referred to a help group

A taxi driver who was found to be drunk twice in the space of six days has had his licence revoked.

Sandwell licensing committee disqualified the unnamed man at a closed meeting of councillors last month.

Minutes of the decision show the driver, referred to only as Mr S B, had previously appeared before the licensing committee on April 23 this year after being convicted of being drunk in charge of his licenced vehicle when his licence was suspended for four weeks.

Six days later, licensing officers received information Mr S B had been arrested again by the police for a non-motoring related matter when he admitted he had a drinking problem.

When his suspension ended he was interviewed by licensing officers about the second arrest and accepted he was in breach of conditions because he had not reported the second incident.

Saying he had since seen his doctor and been referred to a help group for those with drink or drugs issues, Mr S B told the committee he not had an alcoholic drink in seven weeks.

He said he did not report the second arrest because he had hadn’t been charged by police.

After taking legal advice the committee found he had been drinking to excess and was not a fit and proper person to hold a Sandwell licence.

Councillors remarked Mr S B had been a taxi driver for 20 years and should have been aware that any incidents must be reported to the Licensing Office within seven days.

They added that he had been involved in two alcohol related incidents within a short period of time and it was considered there was a risk to public safety.

But presumably he was disqualified, so the original four week suspension was academic?

Or is this particular offence not a conventional drink driving offence?

Drunk in charge of a motor vehicle isn’t an automatic ban.

If you are in possession of your car keys when drunk at the pub but your vehicle is at home you are technically in charge of a motor vehicle.

Amazed he only got a four week suspension for it, though.

Someone I know was walking down our local high street in the early hours of the morning on his way home from a night out, something had happened in the town a few hours earlier which had nothing to do with him when the police pulled him up and asked him some questions like where have you been and where are you going? The searched him and found his car keys with his house keys attached to them. The Police tried to nail him for being in charge of motor vehicle while under the influence when, all of a sudden they got called away to an incident relating to the earlier incident in the town.

Even if you've got your car keys in your pocket the intent to drive is there even if you do not intend to drive

but as you are not in or anywhere near the vehicle it is not drink driving just drunk in charge

if you take your car to the pub you are supposed to leave keys behind the bar to avoid that sutuation

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Don't think the intention is to avoid a 'drunk in charge' offence, it's just to stop the driver driving. I mean, do they go home and leave the keys in the pub?

Anyway, doubt if just having car keys while drunk could lead to a charge unless in extreme circumstances. But if so, must be a huge amount of offenders around who are going unpunished

Two separate, but similar offences.

Drunk in Charge.

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/of ... ised-2017/

Excess Alcohol Drive/Attempt to Drive.

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/of ... ised-2017/

The lesser charge is often laid when they don't have enough evidence for the more serious charge.

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IDFIMH

Doubt if a drunk simply having his car keys on him would amount to an offence, though?

Quite.

A vehicle near by with a warm engine is a good indicator.

Or someone asleep in the back or passenger seat.

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IDFIMH

Have read cases about people sleeping in their motors who've been caught by this, but that's more obviously being in charge of the vehicle, I suspect.