The Sentinel

DRUNK ON TWO-DAY BENDER FLIPPED HIS MUM’S CAR

45-year-old was more than three times drink-drive limit

ALCOHOLIC Nigel Mcdermott flipped his mum’s car after taking it without her permission to drive to the shop.

The 45-year-old, above, was on his way home with his partner when he lost control of the vehicle on a slip road to the A500 at 7.30pm on October 17 last year.

He was later breathalys­ed in custody and gave a reading of more than three times over the legal limit of 35.

Now Mcdermott has been banned from the roads for 28 months and hit with a £634 court bill at North Staffordsh­ire Justice Centre. Prosecutor Hannah Baddeley said police carried out checks which showed Mcdermott held a provisiona­l licence and was not named on the insurance policy.

The roadside breath test could not be carried out as the machine had run out of battery. Miss Baddeley said: “The vehicle had been taken without his mother’s consent. She had not given permission at any point for him to take the vehicle.

“The passenger complained of pain in her foot but she was discharged by paramedics and did not require any further treatment.

“He was breathalys­ed in custody and gave a reading of 118 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitre­s of breath, against the legal limit of 35.”

In his police interview Mcdermott said he had been drinking for two consecutiv­e days. He admitted driving at speed. He believed it was because he was drunk and driving at speed that he hit the grass verge, which caused the car to flip. He said he did not drink inside the car but had drunk before and had one drink as he got out of the car.

Mcdermott, of Jenkins Street, Burslem, pleaded guilty to drinkdrivi­ng; aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

David Ellis, mitigating, said Mcdermott was the subject of a suspended jail sentence when he committed the offences. He said: “He has, under the direction of the probation service, sought help with alcohol issues.

“At the time Mcdermott was drinking up to, and probably more than, a bottle of vodka a day. He has reduced that down to about four cans of lager or beer a day. He is reducing it down rather than going cold turkey.

“They were going out to do some shopping and stupidly he took the keys and went in the car to the shop. It was on the way back to his parents’ that the incident occurred. His girlfriend broke her toe when she got out of the vehicle. He apologises for his behaviour.”

Mcdermott was sentenced to an 18-month community order with a six month alcohol treatment requiremen­t, a thinking skills programme and a rehabilita­tion activity requiremen­t for 15 days.

He was fined £120 and was ordered to pay £400 compensati­on to his mum and a £114 surcharge. His ban will be reduced by 28 weeks if he completes a drink-drivers’ rehabilita­tion course.