Drink-driver is banned for 48 months after he was spotted straddling white lines

A boozed-up motorist who was spotted straddling white lines in the road has been banned from driving for 48 months.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on August 1 how David John Tallent, 45, of Coupland Place, at Somercotes, Alfreton, was approached by police on Coney Green Road, at Clay Cross, just after 1am, on July 17.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “Officers were on patrol when they came across a VW Golf straddling white lines in the road and the engine was running and the defendant was in the driver’s seat and he smelled of alcohol.”

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Tallent provided a positive roadside breath test and he was taken to the police station where he registered 115microgrammes of alcohol in 100millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35microgrammes.

The defendant told police he had only just bought the car and he had been drinking the previous evening.

He added that there had been an argument with his partner and he intended to go to a property at Danesmoor but when he arrived there was no answer at the door so he stopped the car to make a phone call.

Tallent, who has previous convictions in relation to drink-driving, was sentenced to 12 weeks of custody suspended for 12 months with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

He was also disqualified from driving or holding a driver’s licence for 48 months.