Drunk driver jailed after being caught with beer cans in his van
The 32-year-old from Bedlington had SIX previous drink driving offences
A man has been jailed the day after he was caught with cans of beer in his van and found to be more than three times the legal drink drive limit.
Serial drink driver David Morrison, 32, was pulled over by officers from the Beds, Cambs and Herts (BCH) Road Policing Unit at just after 4am on Wednesday (10 November).
He was spotted driving a Ford Transit in Milton Road, Cambridge, and only stopped because the vehicle was showing as having no tax or MOT.
Morrison got out the van and was obviously drunk, slurring his words heavily and very unsteady on his feet.
He was asked to do a roadside breath test and provided a reading of 125microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath – more than three times the legal limit of 35microgrammes.
Morrison was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and taken to a police station where two further evidential breath tests, at 5.30am, provided readings of 97mirogrammes and 93microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
Checks also showed Morrison, of Vulcan Place, Bedington, Northumberland, had no insurance and was disqualified from driving until January 2024.
In police interview Morrison answered ‘no comment’ to all questions but later pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance and driving without MOT.
He was sentenced yesterday (11 November) at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court where he was handed five months in prison and disqualified from driving for four years.
Detective Sergeant Mark Dollard said:
“This was Morrison’s seventh drink driving offence and magistrates felt the risk posed to the public was too great for his sentence to be suspended.
“Drink driving is one of the fatal four causes of collisions on our roads and if Morrison wasn’t pulled over when he was, the consequences of his actions could have been much worse. We can’t be everywhere, but this case highlights that we could be anywhere.
“We would also like to remind the public that they can help us make the roads safer for everyone by reporting drink or drug drivers anonymously to us.”
The force operates a dedicated, confidential hotline - 0800 032 0845 - which is available 24/7 and provides the public with the chance to provide information about anyone they think may be driving under the influence.
For more information about drink driving, the law and the dangers it can cause, visit the force's dedicated web page: https://bit.ly/3c5wXqj