Pleasley soldier's career hits the skids after he crashed car while drunk and ran off

A promising teenage soldier's career has hit the skids after he crashed his car and has been fined and banned for drink-driving.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, January 13, how Jarvis Cocker Jones, 19, lost control of his Ford Fiesta car on Terrace Lane, Pleasley, and was later tested as being twice over the legal drink-drive limit.

Prosecuting solicitor Rod Chapman said: “A member of the public was alerted to a noise in the early hours and saw a car had gone up a bank and a man was running away.

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“He later saw the man return with an older female and police were called to the scene and they went to an address where the defendant’s grandmother answered and she told police the incident had involved her grandson.”

Jones failed a breath test and recorded 71 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal drink-drive limit is 35 microgrammes.

The defendant told police he could not recall anything about the incident but confirmed he owned the car and he had been out drinking and accepted he must have driven the vehicle.

Jones, of Corvette Terrace Lane, Pleasley, pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit after the collision on December 18, last year.

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Defence solicitor David Gittins said: “He had gone to stay with friends and was woken about 3.30am and decided to drive home and he can only assume he misjudged the corner as he was driving.

“He accepts it was stupid and he panicked and ran to his grandmother’s and they had planned to resolve the matter in the morning.”

Mr Gittins added that Jones is in the Logistical Corps of the Army and had been recommended to become a Non-Commissioned Officer but the conviction means that will not now happen.

Magistrates fined Jones £320 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

He was also disqualified from driving for 17 months.

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