SELF-employed businessman Alan Burton was found to be over the drink-drive limit after he caused a road crash by pulling out in front of another car, Spalding magistrates heard.
Burton (40), of Mayfield Close, Pinchbeck, lost his licence for a year when he appeared in court on Thursday – and, as a result, will also lose the business he’s spent two years building up.
Rebecca Ritson, prosecuting, said Burton was driving a Mitsubishi at the junction of Northgate and Money Bridge Lane, West Pinchbeck, on March 17 when he pulled out of the junction “straight into the path of an oncoming Ford Mondeo”.
Miss Ritson said a Mondeo passenger received a slight injury to his left arm and Burton himself had a slight injury to his forehead, which was treated at the roadside by ambulance personnel.
A test later showed he had 51 microgrammes of alcohol in breath – the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.
Burton pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and was banned from driving for a year. He was also fined £110 and ordered to pay £85 costs with a £15 victim surcharge.
Magistrates decided at Thursday’s hearing Burton can cut three months off the ban if he completes a rehabilitation course.
Solicitor Daven Naghen, mitigating, said: “He assures me he would never knowingly drink and drive.
“He had one pint at lunchtime and thinks that added to what he had to drink the night before and put him over the limit.
“The effect of the disqualification is he loses his business he’s spent two years building up.
“He doesn’t earn enough to pay someone as a driver.
“Given the fairly disastrous effects the disqualification will have upon him I would ask you to keep any disqualfication to the minimum.”