Retford drinker crashed van into hedge

A Retford man who was found crawling on his hands and knees in the road after crashing his van into a hedge had been drinking, a court heard.
Babworth RoadBabworth Road
Babworth Road

Joshua Wells asked two motorists who stopped not to call the police, after the accident on the A620, shortly after midnight, on January 6.

He was taken to hospital with a head injury, and a blood test, three hours later, revealed he had 97 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, when the legal limit is 80 milligrammes.

Officers used thermal imaging to check there were no other casualties from the crashed red Citreon van, said prosecutor Daniel Church.

He told police he had argued with his girlfriend, but was driving back from Worksop when he lost control.

Donna Pursglove, mitigating, said: "He is incredibly remorseful for his actions and grateful he was the only one involved."

She said he was in hospital with damaged vertebrae and off work for some time, while his partner had just given birth to a daughter.

"He has another child in Cumbria and he won't be able to travel to see her," Ms Pursglove added.

"He says I have definitely learned my lesson in this case."

Wells, 28, of Welham Grove, admitted drink driving when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Thursday.

He was fined £312, with £85 costs and a £31 govenment surcharge.

He was banned for 16 months, but was offered a drink-driver rehabilitation course, which will reduce the disqualification by 122 days if he completes it before March 2020.