Police sniffed out boozy driver in shop

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Tuesday, June 14, how Clive Graham Pilcher, 47, of Stone Close, Coal Aston, was stopped as he drove away from the store along Oakhill Road, Dronfield, and found to have exceeded the alcohol drink-drive limit.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “It was 3.15pm, on May 25, when a PCSO thought Pilcher smelled of alcohol and as he got back into his Peugeot Partner van and drove out of the car park he was followed and stopped.

“He was smelling of alcohol and he admitted having a few tins of Strongbow.”

Self-employed data cabler Pilcher was tested and recorded with 71microgrammes of alcohol in 100milllitres of breath when the legal drink-drive limit is 35microgrammes of alcohol.

He pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit after the incident on May 25.

Defence solicitor Julie Page said: “Mr Pilcher entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity and he was fully co-operative with the police.

“He accepts he was at home for most of that day.

“His daughter had been admitted to hospital the previous day and he had also had his van broken into and he was sorting out an insurance claim and he had had a drink at home.

“He went to the local shop less than a mile away and he drove and he shouldn’t have done this and he was stopped by the police.

“It was a huge error of judgement on his part.”

Magistrates fined Pilcher £450 and ordered him to pay a £45 victim surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 20 months and he was offered a chance to reduce this ban by five months if he completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course.