Drink driver 'didn't know he was over drink limit' following police chase

Michael Levy, aged 32, was behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Astra on the A-road after midnight on Saturday, May 1, 2021.

Prosecuting, Andrew Newman, told Weymouth Magistrates’ Court how patrolling police officers spotted Levy’s vehicle on the A-road in Winterbourne Abbas with its indicator on.

He said: “At 12.05am on May 1, police officers in Winterbourne Abbas were going towards Bridport. They saw two vehicles on the road.

“Attention was arisen to the indicator flashing of Levy’s vehicle but there were no junctions in the area to turn onto. The vehicle was altering its speed and speeding up and down.

“As officers entered the dual carriageway section of the A35, the vehicle pulled away at speed, travelling at 95-100mph and swerved across the lanes.”

Weymouth Magistrates Court

Mr Newman noted that officers brought the high speed police chase to an end when they stopped Levy on the road in Askerwell, outside of Bridport.

He added: “The driver, a sole occupant, was intoxicated and identified himself as Levy and gave a breathalyser test at the roadside.

“He gave a positive reading and was arrested.”

Levy’s breathalyser test showed he had 55 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

When asked by police officers when he last had a drink, he said he had drank a beer at 5pm. Mr Newman described Levy’s manner of driving as ‘unacceptable’.

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Levy, of Wildern Lane, Hedge End, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle above the drink drive limit.

Appearing unrepresented, Levy apologised to the court for his actions, but said he didn’t think he was over the drink drive limit.

Levy said: “I am not sure there is much to say.

“I was under a lot of stress at home and it was hard. I didn’t think I was much over the limit and thought I was alright to drive.”

Levy, a self-employed handyman and landscape gardener, said he was on Universal Credit due to struggling to find work amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Chair of Magistrates, Sandra Wayman, said: “We have listened to everything that has been said and we are going to disqualify you from driving for 15 months.

“This is higher than the standard penalty because of the unacceptable driving in this offence.”

As well as the 15-month driving ban, Levy was ordered to pay a £120 fine, £85 court costs and £34 victim surcharge. His driving disqualification will be reduced by 15 weeks if he completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course.