Jail for drink-driver - court

5:27pm Monday 12th May 2008

A MAN with a drink problem has been jailed and banned from driving after being caught driving while more than three times over the limit.

John Orme was watched buying a two-litre bottle of cider by an off-duty police officer before getting into his car and driving off "erratically".

Orme, 58, of Kenilworth Close, off Rainbow Hill, admitted driving while above the legal alcohol limit when he appeared before the city's magistrates.

Mark Johnson, prosecuting, said Orme was seen acting suspiciously at about 5.35pm on Sunday, April 6.

"An off-duty police officer was waiting to be served in the local shop when he saw the defendant with a two-litre bottle of White Lightning," he said.

"He saw the defendant go towards the car and drive off. He was unsteady on his feet and the officer noted his driving was erratic and watched the car veer over the white line."

Mr Johnson said police officers were then called. When they located Orme's vehicle he said they found damage to it and suspected he had been involved in a collision but had no evidence to support that.

A breath test was conducted and Orme recorded 134mcg of alcohol in 100ml breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

In mitigation, Nick Roberts said his client had a long-standing alcohol misuse issue after a serious accident on a building site left him with life-threatening injuries.

He spent 18 months in hospital recovering. Mr Roberts said Orme had also suffered "various significant bereavement losses in his life" which had left him distraught.

However, Mr Roberts said Orme had been taking medication and attending sessions with the community alcohol team (CAT) in a bid to tackle his alcohol problem.

Deputy district judge Jenkins said: "You had a phenomenal amount of alcohol in your body and I have to consider whether this crosses the custody threshold but quite frankly this gallops past the custody threshold."

After Orme was jailed for three monehts and banned for four years, a member of the public who had entered the courtroom with Orme shouted: "This is wrong, I'm telling you."

He was threatened with being charged with contempt of court, but said "I don't care" and hurried out.

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