A 49-year-old man has admitted driving dangerously and while over the limit after he was stopped travelling on the wrong side of a major road.
Joy John (correct), of Staddle Stone Road, Exeter, pleaded guilty to both offences.
Just before 1am on October 21 last year, an officer in a marked police vehicle spotted an oncoming car on the wrong side of the North Devon Link Road. The officer was informed that an ambulance crew had managed to bring the vehicle to a stop. The court heard the car then attempted to reverse around the ambulance.
John was shouting while inside the vehicle. When the officer approached, he tried to restart the car and struggled to answer basic questions. He smelled strongly of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet.
He was taken into custody, where a breath test recorded 71 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, more than twice the legal limit of 35. John believed he was in Wellington and appeared confused about why he had been arrested. He admitted to drinking two small bottles of whisky that evening.
Magistrates adjourned the case until May 7 at Exeter Magistrates’ Court for a pre‑sentence report. An interim driving disqualification was imposed.
This story was produced via the Police & Crime Commissioner’s Criminal Justice Court Reporting scheme.
