Retford health and safety man's drink drive ban

Aaron Baker turned off the A1 on to Rectory Lane, near Gamston, because he was trying to work out what a vehicle behind him was doing, shortly before 2.30am, on January 31.

But the vehicle was a police car, and when his Citreon Berlingo van was stopped, a test revealed he had 77 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Baker, 21, of Hallcroft Road, who had no previous convictions, admitted driving with excess alcohol, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.

Maria Moore, mitigating, said Baker is a health and safety assessor for a plastering company he founded with two friends after leaving school.

“He drives a company van and he has the responsibility for taking employees to site and does health and safety assessments,” she said.

“He is an enterprising young man who has gone on to secure qualifications and is providing employment to others.”

She added that Baker had recently lost his grandfather and had seen a psychiatrist for help to deal with his grief.

Baker was banned for 17 months, but was offered a drink drive rehab course which will reduce the disqualification by 128 days if completed before January 2019.

He was fined £428, a government surcharge of £42 and £85 costs.