MARKET HARBOROUGH MAN JAILED FOR DRINK DRIVING
Written by HFM News on 25th January 2023
A Market Harborough man found to be nearly five times over the drink drive limit has been jailed for 20 weeks.
Benjamin Clarke, 33, was arrested after Police spotted him reversing his Mercedes car up the A14 slip road, at junction 3 near Rothwell on January 13th.
After failing a roadside breath test, he provided a sample of 173 at a police station – the legal drink drive limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Clarke, of Leicester Road, was also disqualified from driving for over three years, after pleading guilty to driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol.
He was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and £154 victim surcharge by Wellingborough Magistrates’ Court.
Arresting officer, PC Charlie Brown of Northamptonshire Police’s Roads Policing Team, said: “It was more by luck than judgement that Benjamin Clarke’s actions did not cause a serious collision. He not only put his own life at risk but those of innocent road users.
“We see the devastating effects drink and drug driving can have and therefore it is extremely disappointing that some people still choose to ignore our advice. Getting behind the wheel – almost five times over the limit – is not just selfish, but dangerous and reckless.
“Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads remains the priority for Northamptonshire Police and our partners at the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance, and I’m pleased the courts have dealt with the driver positively.”
