Mansfield teaching assistant was four times over the legal drink-drive limit

Police received a tip-off from Mark Kilday's son that his father was driving under the influence and went to his home on West Hill Drive where they found him sitting at the wheel of a blue Honda Civic at 12.30pm on March 28, said prosecutor Neil Hollett.

They saw the key was in the ignition and a breath test revealed he had 147 mcgs of alcohol in 100 mls of breath, when the legal limit is 35 mcgs.

Officers discovered that his licence had been revoked for medical reasons after he suffered an alcohol-related seizure last December.

Kilday told them he had only moved the car 400 metres down the road after issues with a neighbour and had only consumed half a bottle of wine.

Treve Lander, mitigating, said Kilday, who has worked at All Saints School as a teaching assistant for 14 years, was of ‘exemplary character’ and has ‘devoted most of his working life to young people’.

"His son was under clear instructions that if he found out his father was driving he was to call the police," he said. "And that's what happened.

"He could have gone down the route of making other excuses, but he made full admissions."

Mr Lander explained that parking was an issue on the narrow road where Kilday lives and he was challenged by a neighbour.

"He jumped into his car and drove it around the block. If that hadn’t happened this journey wouldn’t have happened.

"He was letting the engine idle to charge the battery when the police arrived,” he said. "If he goes into custody he will almost certainly lose his job."

Kilday, 53, admitted drink driving and driving without a licence at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Magistrates commended his family for the support they gave him, but said his alcohol level was ‘one of the highest we have ever come across’.

He received eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, with an alcohol treatment programme.

He was banned for three years and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £128 surcharge.

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