A drink driver was caught after police spotted him overtaking other cars.
William Gregory, 37, was said to have gone out for some beers with a friend after an argument with his wife.
The remorseful landscaper had felt he was ‘still alright to drive home’ after the drinks session, Oxford Magistrates’ Court heard.
“Very clearly he was not,” defence advocate Claudia Hylton said.
Prosecutor Ann Sawyer-Brandish said police spotted Gregory’s Nissan van at around 9.15pm on August 3 overtaking other vehicles on the A4130 in Nettlebed, near Henley.
As they followed the van, intending to pull it over, they saw Gregory overtaking other cars and driving ‘at speed’.
He was breathalysed at the roadside then, taken to the police station, provided a reading of 66mcgs of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.
Gregory, of Highmoor Cross, Henley, pleaded guilty to drink driving.
Ms Hylton, mitigating, said: “He sincerely regrets finding himself before the court. He realises the risk he posed both to himself and other people.” The driving was ‘out of character’.
A driving ban meant the landscaper would have to employ a driver, his solicitor said, putting the family under financial pressure.
The magistrates imposed fines, costs and surcharge totalling £253 and banned him from driving for 17 months.
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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.
To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk
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