Police snared drink-driver after an ANPR check on his vehicle

Police snared a drink-driver after they caught him without insurance during an Automatic Number Plate Recognition check on his vehicle.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on September 6 how Dean Smith, 32, of Hanbury Close, Holme Hall, Chesterfield, was caught by police on Sheffield Road, at Stonegravels, in Chesterfield.

Prosecuting solicitor Sarah Haslam said: “He was driving on Sheffield Road just before midnight and the vehicle was flagged as having no insurance after an ANPR check and the police pulled him over.

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“He smelled of alcohol and he failed a roadside breath test.”

The court heard that Smith registered 56 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Smith pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit and to driving without insurance after the incident on August 17.

Defence solicitor Kirsty Sargent said Smith had consumed a couple of cans of alcohol the night before and had a little bit more in the early hours but did not think he would be over the drink-drive limit.

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Ms Sargent added that Smith had been helping a friend by delivering tools to him.

She also explained that Smith suffers with Crohn’s Disease and takes medication which alters his metabolism and he believes this may have influenced his drink-drive reading.

Smith also thought he had been paying for his insurance via a direct debit arrangement, according to Ms Sargent, and he was not aware this had failed.

Magistrates fined Smith £120 and ordered him to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

He was disqualified from driving for 12 months but if he completes a drink-drive rehabilitation the ban can be reduced by 13 weeks.