Drink-driver caught twice in two days

A DRINK-DRIVER was caught several times over the legal limit twice in two days - the second time as he left a police station after handing in his motoring documents, a court heard.

David Dorling, from Needham Market, was arrested on Monday and found to be driving almost five times over the legal limit.

He went to Stowmarket Police Station to hand in his motoring documents on Tuesday, when officers smelled alcohol on his breath and stopped him over after he got back into his vehicle. Tests showed he was more than four times over the limit.

Dorling, 47, of Steggall Close, Needham Market, appeared before Sudbury magistrates yesterday, where he pleaded guilty to two offences of drink-driving and was banned from driving.

The court heard he was driving a Hyundai vehicle on Steggall Close on Monday, when he was stopped by police officers.

Tests showed he had 173 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, just under five times above the legal limit of 35.

Dorling was ordered to hand in his motoring documents at Stowmarket Police Station.

On arriving at the police station officers noticed he smelled heavily of alcohol and watched him get back into his Hyundai vehicle and drive away.

He was stopped on Violet Hill Road and on this occasion tests revealed 147 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, four times over the legal limit.

Prosecutor Kevin Lawson said: “These are two extremely high readings and clearly he committed the second offence just a day after the first one.

“The second offence in particular was brought on by himself by going to the police station to produce documents. He smelt of intoxicating liquor and police officers arrested him again.”

The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports but magistrates placed an interim driving ban on Dorling.

He was given unconditional bail and will be sentenced at Bury St Edmunds Magistrates' Court on January 4.