Pub Incident Leads to Lengthy Driving Ban
A Goldenhill man has been disqualified from driving for three years after an incident where a vehicle he was sitting in rolled into a pub wall, and he subsequently refused to provide a breathalyser sample.
Billyjoe Broad, 32, was at The Traveller's Rest on Kidsgrove Road in Staffordshire on July 18 last year when the event unfolded. The court heard that Broad, who did not have the keys to the vehicle, was sitting inside it when it slowly reversed, colliding with the wall of the pub at a speed of no more than 5mph.
Court Hears Details of the Case
Prosecutor Charlotte Morgan told North Staffordshire Justice Centre that police were alerted to the incident and were later approached by the vehicle's owner. The owner identified Broad as the likely individual involved, though he was unsure how the car had been moved.
Broad, who has three children, later returned to the pub. Miss Morgan stated that he "appeared extremely drunk" and subsequently refused to provide a specimen of breath for analysis, denying that he had driven the vehicle.
The defendant, of Taylor Street, Goldenhill, pleaded guilty to the charge of failing to provide a specimen. The court was informed of a previous drink-driving conviction from 2021.
Mitigation and Sentence
A probation officer report revealed that Broad, who works as a fabricator, pipefitter, and welder, accepted he had consumed a large quantity of alcohol. He claimed he had sat in the vehicle while having a cigarette, it rolled back, and he fell out.
"He fully accepts responsibility. He should not have been sitting in the vehicle and he should have provided a sample," the officer said, adding that Broad was "fearful" and "being silly because he was so inebriated" at the time.
In mitigation, Sarah Bailey said her client regretted his decision to fail to provide a specimen and acknowledged he had drunk more than he should have.
Magistrates fined Broad £769 and ordered him to pay £85 in costs plus a £308 surcharge. His three-year driving ban will be reduced by 36 weeks if he successfully completes a drink-drivers' rehabilitation course.
