DRINK DRIVING SENTENCES

Convicted Driver Insurance
This is an absolutely brilliant post. Very insightful, honest and helpful to others. Thank you for sharing, I wish you all the very best, you will undoubtedly be a much stronger person once you're through to the other side.
Best of luck
This is an absolutely brilliant post. Very insightful, honest and helpful to others. Thank you for sharing, I wish you all the very best, you will undoubtedly be a much stronger person once you're through to the other side.
Best of luck
I’m new here, this place kept me sane in the following week of my ‘capture’ and consequent conviction.
The early days are horrific…now I reflect on the distorted horror and how we as humans have the ability to adapt. Trust me and all those who say the same, life after is not even close to the horror you imagine, in fact it becomes quite liberating if you approach it in the right way.
Everything- in the words of Mr Luhrman - will be ok.
What we did was bad but trust me everyday I see someone on their phone in the car or texting as they drive…yes, we can all see this tell tale eyes down from a mile off as can the police and that is every bit as abhorrent. People may judge but I guarantee the majority of them fall into that bracket.
 
You have a stark choice and I’ve spent 10 years dealing with my addiction and the effects it’s had on my life, rehab and counselling yo-yo. The ONLY way forward is to forgive yourself otherwise you’ll be stuck in an eternal pit of despair. Most people call this moving on, not something so easy for some of us but know this one thing…as bad as you think this all is it’s nothing compared to the way a great deal of people conduct their normal everyday lives and believe they’re saints. My friend ripped into me when I told him until I had to remind him that he too lost his license to drink driving some 30 years ago and had conveniently forgotten his near miss with a fraud charge at about the same time. Live, learn, grow and above all - enjoy your life.
 
You have a stark choice and I’ve spent 10 years dealing with my addiction and the effects it’s had on my life, rehab and counselling yo-yo. The ONLY way forward is to forgive yourself otherwise you’ll be stuck in an eternal pit of despair. Most people call this moving on, not something so easy for some of us but know this one thing…as bad as you think this all is it’s nothing compared to the way a great deal of people conduct their normal everyday lives and believe they’re saints. My friend ripped into me when I told him until I had to remind him that he too lost his license to drink driving some 30 years ago and had conveniently forgotten his near miss with a fraud charge at about the same time. Live, learn, grow and above all - enjoy your life.
Very well said Leon
 
Brief Description of Offence:
Drinking with friends left club about 2AM and drove.

Blood Alcohol Level and Reading Type:
Blew 64

Mitigating Factors:
1st offence

Aggravating Factors:
Was followed by off duty police who witnessed me crash into a pedestrian crossing barrier

Legal Representation at Court?:
Yes

Sentence:
18 Month ban £800 legal fees £140 victim and £3,000 fine.

Offered the Drink Driving Rehabilitation Course?:
Yes will defo take course

Sentence Comments:
Felt I was lucky to get the lower end of the ban.
 
*Posted in the wrong chat on Monday, a lot of you helped me so much with your stories so wanted to update mine*


Hi all, I posted on here back in November last year when I very stupidly drank and drove! Ten months later I finally have the outcome. This forum helped me loads and whilst I’ve still got a way to go, the relief is massive to have finally been sentenced this morning.

Brief Description of Offence:
Was with toxic ex partner at the time at the pub near his flat. Shared 4/5 bottles of wine between 3 of us. Had a row and I stupidly got in my car to drive the 200 metres to his flat.

Blood Alcohol Level and Reading Type:
Breath - a whopping 121. Yep, very very stupid.

Mitigating Factors:
No previous convictions, short distance driven and no passengers.

Aggravating Factors:
Crashed into road sign. High reading therefore classed as HRO.

Legal Representation at Court?:
Yes - paid £600 for a solicitor. Will never know if it was worth it or not but was nice to have someone on my side.

Sentence:
All a bit of a blur still…8 week custodial suspended for 12 months. 29 month ban reduced by 29 weeks after the course. 200 hours unpaid work and £225 fine.

Offered the Drink Driving Rehabilitation Course?:
Yes, will be booking it today!

Sentence Comments:
Was fully prepared and accepting of a lengthy ban. Suspended sentence was a shock, district judge very keen to rattle through (clerks words not mine). The incident happened on the 6th of November 21. I was seen in court May 18th but case adjourned as no probation officer available.

My ban therefore started from the first appearance. I know I’ve done wrong and I’ve come to terms with it, no one to blame but myself so onwards and upwards. Anyone waiting for court, the relief afterwords is phenomenal. Very lucky to have not killed someone or myself so I see this as 100% a lesson learned.
 
*Posted in the wrong chat on Monday, a lot of you helped me so much with your stories so wanted to update mine*


Hi all, I posted on here back in November last year when I very stupidly drank and drove! Ten months later I finally have the outcome. This forum helped me loads and whilst I’ve still got a way to go, the relief is massive to have finally been sentenced this morning.

Brief Description of Offence:
Was with toxic ex partner at the time at the pub near his flat. Shared 4/5 bottles of wine between 3 of us. Had a row and I stupidly got in my car to drive the 200 metres to his flat.

Blood Alcohol Level and Reading Type:
Breath - a whopping 121. Yep, very very stupid.

Mitigating Factors:
No previous convictions, short distance driven and no passengers.

Aggravating Factors:
Crashed into road sign. High reading therefore classed as HRO.

Legal Representation at Court?:
Yes - paid £600 for a solicitor. Will never know if it was worth it or not but was nice to have someone on my side.

Sentence:
All a bit of a blur still…8 week custodial suspended for 12 months. 29 month ban reduced by 29 weeks after the course. 200 hours unpaid work and £225 fine.

Offered the Drink Driving Rehabilitation Course?:
Yes, will be booking it today!

Sentence Comments:
Was fully prepared and accepting of a lengthy ban. Suspended sentence was a shock, district judge very keen to rattle through (clerks words not mine). The incident happened on the 6th of November 21. I was seen in court May 18th but case adjourned as no probation officer available.

My ban therefore started from the first appearance. I know I’ve done wrong and I’ve come to terms with it, no one to blame but myself so onwards and upwards. Anyone waiting for court, the relief afterwords is phenomenal. Very lucky to have not killed someone or myself so I see this as 100% a lesson learned.
Wow, that was a tough sentence.

I blew 124 for my first offence. I didn't crash, but I only received a 20 month ban and a £400.

The 2nd time I blew 96 and again was fined £400 with 36 month ban reduced to 27 with the course.

I'm in Scotland where sentences seem to be much more lenient than down south, which is where I am presuming you live.
 
No,
Maybe the law I Scotland is different, I was told, and thought it to be fact that if say you were an hro and your disqualification was maybe 40 months, then yes the could reduce to 36 months. However a second offence in 10 years means that it doesn't matter if you get a drink driving awareness course, it can not reduce to less than 36 months as a 3 year minimum for a second offence is mandatory. I wasn't offered a course, it's at the sheriff or magistrates discretion. I know what the course is for, I've been through this twice now. So unless someone comes on with an intrinsic knowledge of the law and tells me I'm wrong? Then that's what I believe to be true
I think that law is the same throughout the UK.

What you have referenced is if you have a ban over 36 months, then after 24 months you can appeal to the courts to have it reduced.

You are correct that the course is not always offered, (it wasn't to me the first time.)
 
*Posted in the wrong chat on Monday, a lot of you helped me so much with your stories so wanted to update mine*


Hi all, I posted on here back in November last year when I very stupidly drank and drove! Ten months later I finally have the outcome. This forum helped me loads and whilst I’ve still got a way to go, the relief is massive to have finally been sentenced this morning.

Brief Description of Offence:
Was with toxic ex partner at the time at the pub near his flat. Shared 4/5 bottles of wine between 3 of us. Had a row and I stupidly got in my car to drive the 200 metres to his flat.

Blood Alcohol Level and Reading Type:
Breath - a whopping 121. Yep, very very stupid.

Mitigating Factors:
No previous convictions, short distance driven and no passengers.

Aggravating Factors:
Crashed into road sign. High reading therefore classed as HRO.

Legal Representation at Court?:
Yes - paid £600 for a solicitor. Will never know if it was worth it or not but was nice to have someone on my side.

Sentence:
All a bit of a blur still…8 week custodial suspended for 12 months. 29 month ban reduced by 29 weeks after the course. 200 hours unpaid work and £225 fine.

Offered the Drink Driving Rehabilitation Course?:
Yes, will be booking it today!

Sentence Comments:
Was fully prepared and accepting of a lengthy ban. Suspended sentence was a shock, district judge very keen to rattle through (clerks words not mine). The incident happened on the 6th of November 21. I was seen in court May 18th but case adjourned as no probation officer available.

My ban therefore started from the first appearance. I know I’ve done wrong and I’ve come to terms with it, no one to blame but myself so onwards and upwards. Anyone waiting for court, the relief afterwords is phenomenal. Very lucky to have not killed someone or myself so I see this as 100% a lesson learned.
Wow he / she really threw the book at you that day !

Anyway, as you say, onwards and upwards and that 25% reduction is a sizeable chunk.

It has been said many times (by myself too) that once court was out of the way there is a huge sense of relief, then you can get your head down, do the ban, and adjust.

I hope the time goes by quick for you.

Best wishes !
 
Wow he / she really threw the book at you that day !

Anyway, as you say, onwards and upwards and that 25% reduction is a sizeable chunk.

It has been said many times (by myself too) that once court was out of the way there is a huge sense of relief, then you can get your head down, do the ban, and adjust.

I hope the time goes by quick for you.

Best wishes !
Thank you, yeah I was expecting harsh but felt slightly harsher than I deserved given how much I’ve changed my life around since.

However, what’s done is done and nothing like a kick up the backside to make you learn a lesson 😊
 
Brief Description of Offence:

On jubilee bank holiday I had been out with friends for a night out and walked home with a couple of them to get food and go home. By the time we left the club it was about 3:30 AM so nowhere was open to get food. I stupidly I thought that I would be okay to drive and offered my friends a lift to MacDonald's. On route I was stopped by the police and did a roadside breathalyser test which came back as 58. I was subsequently arrested, handcuffed and bought to the station where I did another breath test this time coming back as 60 and 63, they go with the lower reading. Spent night in cells and was released 5 hours later to do a less triumphant walk of shame.

Blood Alcohol Level and Reading Type:

Breath

Roadside – 53

Station - 60 and 63


Mitigating Factors:

Not much in way of mitigating factors that the court took into account however some things that I bought up where the fact it was 4am on a Sunday night so not many people about, previous good character no run ins with law, clean driving licence held for 5 years. Didn’t cause any damage to anything or thankfully anyone. Cooperative with the police.

Aggravating Factors:

Police said that I was driving erratically and at excessive speeds round corners, Police also said that I endangered a pedestrian that was in the middle of the road
I did argue the endangering as I drove round the pedestrian safely without them having to actually move from the centre of the road.

I did go round a corner quickly so there wasn’t much to argue there

There were 2 passengers in the vehicle when I was stopped, this however wasn’t mentioned in either the police account or by the prosecutor

Legal Representation at Court?:

No, did have a chat with a duty solicitor prior to going in which was great just told me exactly what was going to happen and my probable sentence (she wasn’t allowed in for some reason so went in alone.) I had written a letter to the magistrate that I took a couple of copies with me. She gave it to the magistrates prior to my appearance and also asked the prosecutor to go easy on me which really helped I think as when it came to the prosecutor speaking, she was the one who said I was of good character!

Sentence:

17-month ban, fine of £120 and court costs of £110 (course will reduce ban to 12 months and 3 weeks)

Offered the Drink Driving Rehabilitation Course?:

Yes, intend to take in June.


Sentence Comments:

Exactly what I expected, I was at the bottom end of the category 2 banding so got the bottom end of the sentencing. If only I had taken some deeper breaths, I could have got that 1 milligram under but oh well.

Extra

I am a shotgun owner and as of yet nothing has happened? I have had a mixed response from my fellow shooters some saying I won’t lose my license some saying they might take it off me? It’s been over a week since the court so clearly, they don’t think I’m a real danger otherwise they would take them off me straight away!

If anyone needs any advice or anything let me know I’ve done the full circle now and this forum really helped from initial panic and stress that I’ve ruined my life to post sentence and now thoroughly enjoying being back on my bike
 
Brief Description of Offence:

On jubilee bank holiday I had been out with friends for a night out and walked home with a couple of them to get food and go home. By the time we left the club it was about 3:30 AM so nowhere was open to get food. I stupidly I thought that I would be okay to drive and offered my friends a lift to MacDonald's. On route I was stopped by the police and did a roadside breathalyser test which came back as 58. I was subsequently arrested, handcuffed and bought to the station where I did another breath test this time coming back as 60 and 63, they go with the lower reading. Spent night in cells and was released 5 hours later to do a less triumphant walk of shame.

Blood Alcohol Level and Reading Type:

Breath

Roadside – 53

Station - 60 and 63


Mitigating Factors:

Not much in way of mitigating factors that the court took into account however some things that I bought up where the fact it was 4am on a Sunday night so not many people about, previous good character no run ins with law, clean driving licence held for 5 years. Didn’t cause any damage to anything or thankfully anyone. Cooperative with the police.

Aggravating Factors:

Police said that I was driving erratically and at excessive speeds round corners, Police also said that I endangered a pedestrian that was in the middle of the road
I did argue the endangering as I drove round the pedestrian safely without them having to actually move from the centre of the road.

I did go round a corner quickly so there wasn’t much to argue there

There were 2 passengers in the vehicle when I was stopped, this however wasn’t mentioned in either the police account or by the prosecutor

Legal Representation at Court?:

No, did have a chat with a duty solicitor prior to going in which was great just told me exactly what was going to happen and my probable sentence (she wasn’t allowed in for some reason so went in alone.) I had written a letter to the magistrate that I took a couple of copies with me. She gave it to the magistrates prior to my appearance and also asked the prosecutor to go easy on me which really helped I think as when it came to the prosecutor speaking, she was the one who said I was of good character!

Sentence:

17-month ban, fine of £120 and court costs of £110 (course will reduce ban to 12 months and 3 weeks)

Offered the Drink Driving Rehabilitation Course?:

Yes, intend to take in June.


Sentence Comments:

Exactly what I expected, I was at the bottom end of the category 2 banding so got the bottom end of the sentencing. If only I had taken some deeper breaths, I could have got that 1 milligram under but oh well.

Extra

I am a shotgun owner and as of yet nothing has happened? I have had a mixed response from my fellow shooters some saying I won’t lose my license some saying they might take it off me? It’s been over a week since the court so clearly, they don’t think I’m a real danger otherwise they would take them off me straight away!

If anyone needs any advice or anything let me know I’ve done the full circle now and this forum really helped from initial panic and stress that I’ve ruined my life to post sentence and now thoroughly enjoying being back on my bike
Hi,

Decent outcome.

I hope your friends that were there are helping and supporting you all over a McDonalds.

I have learnt that being too kind, can in the end, cause worse than just saying no from the start.

Your friends will of should and should known the risk and not encouraged it.

It is alot harder to be nice and help rather then to just say NO.

Kind regards,




Stu
 
Hi,

Decent outcome.

I hope your friends that were there are helping and supporting you all over a McDonalds.

I have learnt that being too kind, can in the end, cause worse than just saying no from the start.

Your friends will of should and should known the risk and not encouraged it.

It is alot harder to be nice and help rather then to just say NO.

Kind regards,




Stu
Valid point, all are culpable, only one takes the rap. Hopefully good set of friends that will share the burden.
 
Brief Description of Offence:
In charge of motor vehicle - alcohol level above limit. Drove to shops to buy vodka to deal with withdrawals. Ended up sitting in my car in a car park drinking it. Was spotted and reported (not surprised because I was a total mess)

Blood Alcohol Level and Reading Type:
Blew 135 at the site
196mg of alcohol in 100ml urine (taken at the hospital)

Mitigating Factors:
Recovering alcoholic in a relapse seeking help and engaging with services. Was having a breakdown. Co-operated with the police and was polite.

Aggravating Factors:
3rd offence. 1st offence DR

Legal Representation at Court?:
Yes

Sentence:
28 day ban
£461 - Fine
£46 - victim surcharge
£250 costs

Offered the Drink Driving Rehabilitation Course?:
No, done it before

Sentence Comments:
I was very lucky and was expecting a long ban. Cried the entire time and it was horrible. The fines were steep but I can't complain as I didn't receive a community order.

Now sober and back on the road.

Best of luck to anyone going through this
 
Brief Description of Offence:
In charge of motor vehicle - alcohol level above limit. Drove to shops to buy vodka to deal with withdrawals. Ended up sitting in my car in a car park drinking it. Was spotted and reported (not surprised because I was a total mess)

Blood Alcohol Level and Reading Type:
Blew 135 at the site
196mg of alcohol in 100ml urine (taken at the hospital)

Mitigating Factors:
Recovering alcoholic in a relapse seeking help and engaging with services. Was having a breakdown. Co-operated with the police and was polite.

Aggravating Factors:
3rd offence. 1st offence DR

Legal Representation at Court?:
Yes

Sentence:
28 day ban
£461 - Fine
£46 - victim surcharge
£250 costs

Offered the Drink Driving Rehabilitation Course?:
No, done it before

Sentence Comments:
I was very lucky and was expecting a long ban. Cried the entire time and it was horrible. The fines were steep but I can't complain as I didn't receive a community order.

Now sober and back on the road.

Best of luck to anyone going through this
Hi,

Great outcome!

28 day ban?

(I am guessing months).

Also congratulations!

Kind regards,




Stu
 
28 Days! Were you charged with Drunk in Charge? You did blow 135 which is nearly 4 times the limit in England so I am amazed you only got 28 days. You must have had a very lenient magistrate or a good brief.
Doesn't matter what was blown for drunk in charge. The starting point for magistrates is no ban and 10 points, but for more serious cases they can (and do!) invoke a ban.
 
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