A teenager from Cresselly who overturned his car on the way home had a rude awakening when police got him out of bed in the early hours of the morning to arrest him for drink-driving, a court heard this week.
Nineteen-year-old Jacob William Knox, of Birds Lane, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving his Vauxhall Corsa, with 99 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that police received a phone call shortly after 3.30 am on October 8, from a member of the public who had discovered Mr. Knox’s car overturned on a road in the village of Carew.
“The keys had been removed from the car which was locked, but the headlights were still on. Police officers traced the vehicle’s registered address, and when they got to the property they were let in by the defendant’s mother, as Mr. Knox was in bed,” explained Mr. Pritchard-Jones.
“Despite no-one seeing what he had done, he was honest about the incident, and told officers that he’d consumed eight pints of Strongbow, a glass of wine and a few shots whilst out with friends, along with a can of Carling and two shots of whisky when he got home, but couldn’t explain how he’d managed to overturn his car,” he continued.
Defence solicitor Jonathan Webb told the court that Mr. Knox had driven to Carew Sports Club, which is less than a mile from his home, where he had left his car, before having a few drinks with friends and then heading into Pembroke for a night out.
“Later on, he was dropped off home by a friend, but for some inexplicable reason, Mr. Knox decided to walk back to where he had left his car and drive it home. It’s the silliest thing he’s ever done.
“He’s on the cusp of going into Her Majesty’s forces, as he is joining the navy, but if he doesn’t get through this time, due to a community order for this offence, then he may miss the boat!
“It’s his lifetime ambition and one moment of madness might affect that,” added Mr. Webb.
Magistrates disqualified the defendant from driving for 25 months and fined him £320 for the offence.
Mr. Knox was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £32 victim surcharge.