Man from High Wycombe convicted of drink driving offence

A 20 year old man from High Wycombe has been found guilty of a drink driving offence at High Wycombe Magistrates Court.

He was seen driving his moped through Frogmoor and High Wycombe town centre at around 3.00am on Saturday 4th October 2014. When stopped by officers he failed a roadside breath test.

He was then arrested and taken to High Wycombe police station and whilst in custody refused to provide a specimen of breath and was charged with this offence.

The man pleaded guilty to the offence but asked for a Newton hearing(*) which was conducted at High Wycombe Magistrates court on Monday 17th November 2014. The defendant was found guilty of being associated with the vehicle by driving and was convicted of failing to provide a specimen of breath.

The man was disqualified from driving for 18 months, given a 12 month community penalty with 60 hours unpaid work, fined £240 with a victim surcharge of £60 and offered a place on a drink driving rehabilitation course.

PC Leigh Andrews from High Wycombe police station said: ‘This incident occurred on a busy evening when the town centre was full of people as it was approaching kicking out time for all of the nightclubs/bars. The manner of the offender’s driving was considered extremely dangerous as he was driving on the pavement of a busy town centre. Drink drivers can drive into the town on busy weekend evenings like this and can pose a threat to revellers in the town. I am pleased with this sentencing and I hope it will serve as a deterrent to would-be drink drivers.‘

*A Newton hearing is a hearing in which, after a defendant is convicted, the court hears evidence to help it decide on sentence because the prosecution version of the circumstances of the offence differs substantially from the defence version.