A NOTTINGHAM man has been banned from driving for 24 months and ordered to pay £1,118 after admitting to a drink-driving offence following a collision with a b...
A NOTTINGHAM man has been banned from driving for 24 months and ordered to pay £1,118 after admitting to a drink-driving offence following a collision with a bollard.
Tanyaradwze Magwenzi, 23, of Fairburn Close, Nottingham, appeared before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on June 2, where he pleaded guilty to driving while over the legal alcohol limit.
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The court heard that police officers were called to Constitution Hill on May 3 after receiving reports that a Ford EcoSport had collided with a bollard.
Prosecutor Ms Begum told the court that officers found Magwenzi at the scene of the crash. During initial questioning, he denied being the driver before later admitting that he had been behind the wheel.
According to the prosecution, Magwenzi told officers that he had travelled from Derby and had driven to a Travelodge where he had been staying before driving to the location where the collision occurred.
The court was told that Magwenzi claimed his last alcoholic drink had been consumed at around 6pm. However, officers noted that he appeared dazed and smelled strongly of alcohol.
A roadside investigation led to a breath test, which revealed that Magwenzi had 106 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit in England and Wales is 35 micrograms, meaning he was more than three times over the permitted limit.
Appearing in court without legal representation, Magwenzi informed magistrates that he was unemployed and not receiving any state benefits. He said he was currently living with his brother and had no income.
Despite the seriousness of the offence, the court noted that Magwenzi had previously been of good character and had no prior criminal convictions.
Magistrates opted to impose a financial penalty rather than a community order. He was fined £738 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £295 and prosecution costs of £85, bringing the total amount payable to £1,118.
The court warned Magwenzi that enforcement action could be taken if he failed to pay the amount owed, including the possibility of bailiffs being instructed to recover the debt.
In addition to the financial penalty, Magwenzi was disqualified from driving for 24 months.
The case serves as another reminder of the dangers of drink-driving and the legal consequences faced by motorists who choose to get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol.
