Mansfield boozer crashed into hedge on third drink drive charge

Officers on mobile patrol spotted Benjamin Allsop’s Honda Accord being driven “a little out of control” on Maltby Road, at 11.30pm, on August 25, and it sped away.

Officers followed the car to where it crashed into a hedge and saw him getting out, said prosecutor Robert Carr.

A test revealed Allsop had 69 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millitres of breath, when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Allsop, 31, of Kings Stand, admitted drink driving when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Monday.

The court heard he had previous convictions for drink driving from June 2010 and 2004, as well as nine points on his licence for speeding.

Mary Dixon, mitigating, said: “He doesn’t minimise what he has done. He knows he was taking a risk. He went out to get some alcohol. He is very lucky he didn’t injure himself.”

She said the self-employed joiner faced losing income, and even his job, because of the inevitable ban.

Allsop was given a 12 month community order and ordered to go on an 30 day rehabilitation programme.

He was banned for 36 months because of the similar offences. He was not offered the chance to go on a drink drive rehabilitation course which would reduce the length of the disqualification, because “it clearly didn’t work.”

He must pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.