Here are the latest cases from the region’s courts:
NANTWICH: Soldier Jamie Winter flipped his car when more than twice the drink-drive limit. The 31-year-old, who is in the Fifth Battalion The Rifles, lost control of his Jeep in Ashley at 11.15pm on October 26.
Prosecutor Suzanne Swindail told North Staffordshire Justice Centre police received a call from a third party who said he had seen a vehicle on its side. They helped the driver to climb out to safety. Police attended and found the Jeep on its side and a man next to the vehicle. He had slurred speech but identified himself.
Miss Swindail said: “He said he had been to a family get-together. He was driving home and came around a corner and hit the brakes causing the car to slide and topple over. He gave a positive roadside breath test. He was taken to custody where he was breathalysed and gave a reading of 81 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, against the legal limit of 35.”
In his police interview Winter said he had drunk alcohol and driven to a bad bend in the road. He believed another car was coming in the opposite direction and slammed on his brakes. He believed he may have hit something causing his vehicle to land on its side. He was remorseful and said his decision to drive was stupid.
Winter, of Taylor Drive, Nantwich, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.
Representing himself, Winter said: “I accept full responsibility. It was stupid. I should never have done it. I had too much to drink. I realise I do have a drink problem. I have been in denial for eight years. I have not drunk since the incident. This Christmas and New Year was the first time in 15 years I have been sober. This has been a wake-up call.”
Magistrates fined Winter £576 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £230 surcharge. He was disqualified from driving for 20 months but his ban will be reduced by 20 weeks if he completes a drink-drivers’ rehabilitation course.
NEWCASTLE: Motorist George Tsintsadze has been caught behind the wheel two days after he was banned. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the 34-year-old was banned from the roads for six months on October 2. But at 9.45pm on October 4 he was seen driving a black Audi A3 on Blurton Road, Blurton.
Prosecutor Suzanne Swindail said: “He was stopped and was found to be a disqualified driver and was not insured to drive the vehicle.”
Tsintsadze, of Seabridge Lane, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
Joanne Corbett, mitigating, said Tsintsadze had been banned under the totting-up procedure on October 2. But he was not at court and received the letter notifying him of the ban the day after he was stopped.
Miss Corbett added: “He had no idea he was disqualified. He is desperate to get his licence back.”
Magistrates fined Tsintsadze £50 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £20 surcharge. He was handed a ban to run concurrent to his current ban meaning it will end on April 1.
BURSLEM: Drink-driver Cosmin Paul has been banned from the roads for two years. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the 30-year-old Romanian had drunk more than he normally would as it was the National Day of Romania when police saw him driving extremely slowly in Hamil Road, Burslem, at 2am on December 2.
Prosecutor Suzanne Swindail said: “He attempted to park in Price Street before reversing back in the road. He was stopped in Hamil Road. His eyes appeared glazed and his speech was described as slurred. He told police he’d had one glass of wine. He gave a positive roadside breath test and was taken to custody where he was breathalysed and gave a reading of 108 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, more than three times the legal limit of 35.”
Paul, of Living Well Street, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to drink-driving and driving without insurance.
Joanne Corbett, mitigating, said Paul no longer drinks alcohol.
Magistrates handed Paul a 12-month community order with 80-hours unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 surcharge. His ban will be reduced by 24 weeks if he completes a drink-drivers’ rehabilitation course.
BUCKNALL: Drug-driver Damon Hughes has been banned from the roads for two years. The 45-year-old smoked cannabis in the morning of July 14, drove his car that evening, and hit a parked vehicle.
Prosecutor Suzanne Swindail told North Staffordshire Justice Centre: “A witness was at home at 7.30pm and looked out and saw the defendant’s vehicle going up and down at speed. It mounted the kerb. Twenty minutes later the car returned. There were a few parking spaces up from her address. Her car was parked in one of the spaces. His car came down the road and smashed into her son’s vehicle. She heard the bump. The defendant reversed and sped off. The car came back again and drove into a bush. The police were called and attended. The defendant provided a drug wipe. It was positive for cannabis. He was arrested. A blood test was taken which gave a result of seven micrograms of THC, the cannabis breakdown, in a litre of blood, against the legal limit of two.”
In his police interview Hughes said he’d smoked cannabis in the morning.
Hughes, of Davy Close, Bucknall, pleaded guilty to drug-driving and driving without due care and attention.
Joanne Corbett, mitigating, said Hughes accepted smoking cannabis.
She added: “He was in a difficult time with his mental health. He fully accepts he drove up and down the street and caused damage to the neighbour’s vehicle. He has paid for the damage. He does accept he was driving in the manner alleged.”
Magistrates sentenced Hughes to a 12-month community order with a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement. He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.
BIGNALL END: Thirty-one-year-old Jacob Mainwaring has been caught drink-driving for the third time. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard a 999 call was made to police at 12.40am on December 6 reporting that the defendant had bumped into the car in front of him at a McDonald’s drive-thru.
The vehicle was stopped by police in Hougher Wall Avenue, Audley, at 1.05am. The defendant was breathalysed with his lowest reading being 72 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, more than twice the legal limit of 35.
Mainwaring, of Ravens Lane, Bignall End, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.
Magistrates adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared on Mainwaring as it is his third conviction for drink-driving in a 10-year period. He will be sentenced on February 18. His bail was extended and he was made the subject of an interim driving ban.
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