AN electrician was three and a half times the limit when he crashed into a wall, the second time he has been caught drink driving.
Kieran Kinsella of Ombersley Road, Worcester crashed his Audi A6 into a wall in Leigh Sinton, near Malvern.
He faced a longer driving ban because he has been caught a second time in 10 years despite swearing he would never do it again after the first time he was caught.
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The 28-year-old admitting driving with excess alcohol when he appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Thursday following the crash on the A4103 on September 4 this year.
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Melanie Winterflood, prosecuting, said Kinsella had initially told police he was not the driver but Gary Harper, who appeared for the defendant, told the court the electrician had 'fallen on his sword' at court.
Failing a roadside breath test, the evidential reading for Kinsella at the police station was 123 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, more than three and a half times the limit of 35 microgrammes.
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Interviewed by a probation officer before he was sentenced, Kinsella explained that he was a self-employed electrician. This was a 'repeat offence' for Kinsella, his last drink driving offence happening just under a decade ago in 2011. The defendant had 'just bought a house with his partner' and had taken on an apprentice who was able to drive and has a full licence.
"Although he has a previous drink driving conviction this was almost 10 years ago" said the officer in a verbal report delivered to the court before sentence.
Kinsella was identified as being unsuitable for a home detention curfew as this would potentially have an impact upon his work. An alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement was also ruled out.
"He does not present as a regular drinker" the officer explained.
Gary Harper, defending, said: "He wants to apologise for what he has done. He said himself himself he would never be quite so stupid again. Almost 10 years later he has done it again. He's very upset and angry with himself about that. He's very obviously made a bad decision."
Referring to his client's initial denials that he was the driver, Mr Harper said 'the evidence was against him' and that Kinsella 'panicked trying to come out with what he told police'.
Mr Harper urged the bench to treat his client as a man of statutory good character because the previous drink driving conviction was 'so long ago'. The sentencing guidelines available ranged from a community order to 26 weeks custody. "He appreciates quite fully he has to be punished for his actions" said Mr Harper.
Magistrates opted to impose a high level community order for 12 months including 250 hours of unpaid work. Kinsella was banned from driving for 36 months. For the second time he was offered a drink driver's rehabilitation course which he must book and pay for himself.
If completed successfully, the course will reduce the length of his disqualification by 36 weeks. Kinsella said he would like to have the opportunity of completing the course.
Magistrates further imposed costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £95.
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