Drink-driver caught at Tibshelf services after motorway folly

A booze-fuelled drink-driver who was spotted weaving in the road for about 50 miles along the M1 motorway is due to be sentenced.
Tibshelf Service Station.Tibshelf Service Station.
Tibshelf Service Station.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard how Wade White, 42, was seen by a witness who reported him driving erratically from Junction 20 to Junction 28 before pulling up at Tibshelf service station.

Prosecuting solicitor Ian Shaw said during a hearing last month: “His Audi A6 vehicle was followed for a long time along the M1 motorway from Junction 20 in the Lutterworth, Leicestershire area, to Tibshelf Service station which is about 50 miles. The witness said he noticed the vehicle’s personalised number plate and first saw it in the outside lane of the motorway travelling slowly. He flashed his lights to get the defendant’s attention but the vehicle suddenly made off at speed and the defendant was weaving and there was an assumption the defendant was on a phone.

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“The witness caught up with the vehicle and said the defendant was drifting into lane two and three for over 30 or 40 miles and by Junction 28 he was concerned there would be a collision so he called police.”

Mr Shaw added that it took White five attempts to park his vehicle at the service station after he had driven into a bush.

Police found White asleep in the parked vehicle, according to Mr Shaw, during the incident in June and an officer said the defendant was incoherent and unsteady.

Mr Shaw added: “Police said they could smell alcohol on the defendant’s breath and when an officer asked White if he knew where he was the defendant wrongly said he was in Lutterworth.”

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White initially told police he had had a drink the night before the incident, according to Mr Shaw, and then said he had had a drink at the service station.

But White recorded a drink-drive reading of 89 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath which is more than twice the legal drink-drive limit.

The defendant, of Chapel Lane, Walcote, Lutterworth, pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit.

Magistrates adjourned the case until October 19 to consider probation reports before sentencing White.

The defendant was released on unconditional bail.