Mansfield drink driver flipped brand new car into a field

A witness was following Spencer Berry's silver Suzuki Vitara on Coxmoor Road, Sutton, at 2.55pm on April 8 when the incident happened, said prosecutor Sanjay Jerath.

"As he rounded the bend he saw the car lose control, skid over a layby, causing a cloud of dust, before going into a field and flipping on to the passenger side," he said.

The witness climbed on to the car and helped Berry, who appeared to be in shock, to get out. Shortly afterwards, smoke began to issue from the car and it caught fire.

When police arrived, Berry confirmed he was the driver and an empty vodka bottle was found in the car.

A breath test revealed he had 85 mcgs of alcohol when the legal limit is 35 mcgs.

Pars Samrai, mitigating, said: "There was no collision and no suggestion of bad driving or speeding."

He said Berry, who was uninjured, was grateful to the man who helped him.

The car was purchased brand new two days before, he said, but was now a write-off.

Berry, who works at a door and window manufacturing firm in Alfreton, drank in the morning after returning from a night shift and went to bed, before waking up and driving to do some ‘urgent’ shopping.

Mr Samrai said Berry, who has one child and a pregnant partner, faces ‘acute hardship’ because of the inevitable ban. He will be unable to ferry his poorly brother to hospital appointments, the court was told.

“He’s at a complete loss as to why this accident occured.” he added. "He blames nobody but himself for this.”

Berry, 31, of Arundel Drive, Mansfield, admitted drink driving when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court, on Thursday.

Magistrates reduced the ‘normal’ 22-month ban to 18 months. He was offered a drink drive rehabilitation course which will cut the disqualification by 18 weeks if he completes it before April, next year.

He was fined £390 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £39 surcharge.

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