Kebab trip leads to drink drive arrest for young mechanic

Sarah Howells Wednesday, February 6, 2013
12:39 PM

Defence solicitor said it came a ‘rude shock’ when his client found he blew twice the legal limit in roadside breath test.

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A YOUNG mechanic was lucky not to lose his job after a trip to fetch a kebab saw him arrested for drink driving.

John Seatherton, 23, of 1 Elysian Court, South Molton, was enjoying a night of board games with friends on January 6 when one of them decided they wanted a kebab.

Seatherton drove himself and two friends to Barnstaple but on the way back got lost and ended up down Villa Close in Newport, Barnstaple.

Police officers noticed the Ford transit van driving suspiciously during the early hours of Sunday morning and pulled it over.

When officers spoke to Seatherton they could smell alcohol and he then blew a positive breath test with a reading of 70 microgrammes per 100ml of breath – twice the legal limit.

He pleaded guilty to the charge of driving while under the influence of alcohol at North Devon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Tony Dart, defending, said his client was lucky to be able to keep his job at a garage where he had been working since the age of 15 as he had become ‘part of the furniture’.

He said: “He was blissfully unaware he was over the limit; the fact he was came as a rude shock to him.

“He’s a qualified MOT tester and luckily he can still work on the ‘rolling road’ in the garage.”

Magistrates disqualified Seatherton from driving for 18 months, and ordered him to pay a £250 fine, £25 victim surcharge and £85 in costs.