PICKING up a pal who had been attacked in Spalding landed a man in court for drink driving – and a telling off for carrying passengers while over the limit.
Student Tommy Mitchell (19), of Gedney Drove End, hadn’t intended to drive on New Year’s Eve but went to pick up a friend who asked for help.
He had three passengers in his car when police spotted him taking a roundabout on the A16 without attempting to slow his speed.
Solicitor Daven Naghen, mitigating, told the court: “He accepts he was over the limit, he accepts that was not a normal thing for him to do.”
He said the good deed had given the veterinary student a big problem because he would have no transport to get to college in Wisbech.
Presiding magistrate Greg Cejer said there had been several drink-drive cases that morning where drivers had passengers.
He told Mitchell that Lincolnshire had an unenviable record of drink drive deaths.
Mr Cejer continued: “There is some mitigation but at the same time there are three people in the car which makes it more dangerous.”
He suggested Mitchell should talk to his college to seek help with transport.
Mitchell pleaded guilty to driving with 62 microgrammes alcohol in breath – the legal limit is 35 mcgs – and was banned from driving for 16 months and ordered to pay a total of £200.