A WAREHOUSE worker has been banned from taking to the wheel after driving his firm’s van while drunk.
Michael Burton, 52, was before Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
He admitted driving drunk in the early hours of October 8.
Vanessa Schofield, prosecuting, said: “Officers driving along Queen Street South saw a van and noticed it was partly driving on the kerb.
“They followed it on to Newsome Road where the van was stopped.”
Police took Burton, of Manchester Road, to the police station where a breath test revealed that he had 85 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
Police also discovered that Burton had been driving without valid insurance. Burton pleaded guilty to the two charges.
When asked to explain his actions he told magistrates: “My wife had kicked me out and I was sleeping in the firm’s van for a few days. My life was turned upside down. I accept that it was a stupid thing to do and I apologise profusely.”
Burton added that he had thought he was insured to drive the company vehicle.
However his insurance had been invalidated because he was driving the van at night time and not for company use.
Burton told magistrates that he would still be able to work in his firm’s warehouse if they banned him from driving.
The bench disqualified him from driving for 17 month, which will be reduced if he complete the drink drive rehabilitation course. Burton was also ordered to pay a fine, court costs and victim surcharge totalling £330.
