Drink-driver causes car park mayhem

Arrested as he struggled with ticket machine

A DRINK-DRIVER caused mayhem in a town centre car park, twice smashing into the same vehicle.

Robert John Holmes then tried to drive off, but operating the ticket machine proved too much for him.

Police caught the befuddled 61-year-old still struggling in vain to find the slot for his ticket and promptly arrested him.

Helen Gambrill, prosecuting on Thursday, October 15, told Newbury magistrates: “It was 10.15pm in The Wharf car park in Newbury, when a woman driver saw a blue Vauxhall Vectra reverse towards her at speed, hitting her passenger door. It then drove forward again and she shouted ‘That’s my car’.”

Mr Holmes, of Walton Way, Newbury, replied: “Have I hit it?,” the court heard.

However, said Ms Gambrill, “He didn’t appear very coherent.”

She added: “He then got back into his car and repeated the process, hitting her car all over again. He then tried to leave the car park but he appeared to be really struggling to get his ticket into the machine to get the barrier up.”

The woman’s car sustained £2,500-worth of damage in the form of dents and scratches.

By now, the court heard, the police had been called and Mr Holmes was still struggling with his ticket when they arrived and breathalysed him.

Tests showed 108mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in his system – more than three times the legal limit of 35mcg.

Mr Holmes admitted driving while unfit through drink on August 8.

Mike Davis, defending, conceded that his client had a lot to drink and added: “He had originally planned to leave his car in the car park. He got a kebab and at that point took the extremely foolish decision to drive home.

“Fortunately perhaps, for all concerned, he was unable to get out of the car park.”

Mr Davis said: “A drink problem had taken over his life without him realising how bad it had become. Since this incident he has sought help from from AA and [substance misuse organisation] Swanswell.

“He was insured, so the insurance company will take care of any legitimate claims made.”

Magistrates made Mr Holmes subject to a 12-month community order with 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and alcohol treatment requirement.

In addition Mr Holmes was banned from driving for 24 months and ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge with £85 costs and £60 victim surcharge.