Youth hit traffic island while twice legal limit

Connor Morton, 18, of the Avenue, Sutton, admitted driving, while uninsured, with 68 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

The court heard police found Morton changing a tyre on his Renault Twingo at 4am, on June 19, on Leamington Drive in Sutton, after hitting the traffic island.

Ruth Snodin, prosecuting, said Morton told police he had drunk five pints of beer and visited a friend, before deciding to drive home.

The court heard he had no insurance because he couldn’t afford the premiums which had increased following an accident.

Melanie Hoffman, mitigating, said Morton had been suffering from depression after receiving ‘some bad news.’

“His mother tells me he has worked since he was 12,” she said. “He has lost his job as a result of the incident but has an interview with an employment agency this afternoon.”

Magistrates banned him for 18 months for drink driving and endorsed his licence for driving without insurance.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.