Magistrates tell drink-drive motorist: 'It's your lucky day'

Licence returned early despite second conviction

A MAN twice convicted for drink driving got his licence back early as Newbury magistrates told him: “It’s your lucky day.”

Simon Clive Fisher, of Westfield Road, Thatcham, was banned from the roads for three years on April 10, 2013, for driving after drinking more than the legal limit.

Tests had shown he had 78mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in his system when police stopped his BMW car in Thatcham on March 19 that year.

The legal limit is 35mcg.

It was the 28-year-old’s second conviction for the same offence within a three-year period, the court heard, the first having been in 2011.

But on Thursday, May 14, he was back before Newbury magistrates - this time, to ask them to return his licence 12 months early.

Mike Davis, representing Mr Fisher, said his client was legally entitled to make the application two thirds of the way through the disqualification period.

Giving evidence, Mr Fisher told magistrates he had been made redundant from his motor mechanic job, largely as a result of losing his licence.

He had been offered a new job subject to regaining his licence, the court heard.

Mr Fisher said he had considerably reduced his alcohol consumption and that he and his partner were trying to start a family, adding: “I’ve changed my life 150 per cent.”

After retiring to confer with her colleague, presiding magistrate Nicola Buchanan-Dunlop told him: “It’s you lucky day - it was borderline, but we’re going to grant your application.”