A grandad crashed on his way home after playing golf to alleviate stress and downing beers and vodka, a court heard. Paul Simpson, a precision engineer for 32 years, is medicated for anxiety and depression, and his company even arranged counselling for him.
His workplace advised him to go and play golf to help with the stress and off he went with colleagues to tee off on May 22 this year. But the day ended badly after 50-year-old Simpson, a father-of-two and a grandad to two, drove his blue Ford Fiesta on Redbarn Way, Sutton-in-Ashfield.
His car was spotted at 2pm approaching a roundabout at speed, coming off the roundabout and veering towards a member of the public. The witness had been shopping and had headed along Castlewood Grove, in the same area.
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They became concerned about the driving of the Ford Fiesta after they themselves had just passed a child, two people on bikes, and the standard of driving was poor, Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard.
Another witness got in front of the Fiesta and reduced their speed so that Simpson stopped - but he crashed into the back of their vehicle. Simpson was sat in the driver's side of his vehicle, rolled down the window, only for members of the public to be hit by the smell of booze.
One reached into the Fiesta and removed the car keys to stop him driving away. Simpson demanded the keys back and said the member of the public was , "being harsh". But the quick-thinking bystander refused to return them and called cops.
Lottie Tyler, prosecuting, said: "Officers arrived and parked behind the defendant, who was still sat in the driver's side of the car and still had his seatbelt on. They could see his eyes were glazed over and didn't appear to be concentrating towards officers and they could smell alcohol".
Simpson, a family man of Crowtrees Drive, Sutton-in-Ashfield, told officers he had two bottles of beer in the morning. A breath test failed. The court was also told there was an empty bottle of vodka in the car.
He went on to plead guilty on Thursday, June 16, to drink-driving with 135 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, over the limit of 35. The court heard he had a "couple of beers", and a small bottle of vodka on the golf course.
He has not driven since. Magistrates considered the matter was serious enough to impose a community order for 12 months ,with alcohol abstinence monitoring for 80 days, and 140 hours of unpaid work. His driving ban runs for 32 months but a drink drive rehab course could slash this by 32 weeks, if completed.
Additionally, the defendant was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.
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