Bilsthorpe drink driver crashed into pal's car

Daniel John Cooper, 28, of Mickledale Lane, admitted driving while over the legal limit on the Crescent, in Bilsthorpe, just after midnight on July 10, when he appeared before magistrates in Mansfield on Wednesday.

Ruth Snodin, prosecuting, said Cooper drank six or seven pints of ale at the local Welfare Club before skidding on a wet road and hitting his friend’s car with his silver Vauxhall Vectra.

“He was found in the rear garden of his home where he was arrested,” said Ms Snodin.

A breath test revealed he had 51 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes. The court heard he had a previous conviction for assault in 2008.

Andrew Bevan, mitigating, told magistrates that minimal damage was caused by the collision.

“He offered to pay for the damage. That isn’t the correct thing to do. I would ask you to look at the positive side of this as admitting his fault.

“His friend turned down the offer. He knew he was in the wrong.”

Mr Bevan said Cooper is a self-employed labourer and the loss of his licence would hit his business.

Magistrates fined him £390 and ordered him to pay court costs of £85 and a £39 victim surcharge. He was banned for 12 months.