An Army coach driver is forced to find another role after being caught drunk driving in Wiltshire.
Josh Sammut, 21, of Owen Close, Kempston, Bedford, pleaded guilty to drink driving at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on November 6.
The court heard from Mr Ballinger, prosecuting, that Sammut was driving a Ford Focus at around midnight on Bath Road, Corsham, on October 19 when he bumped into another vehicle.
Mr Ballinger said Sammut was “negotiating a bend in the road” when he drifted into the opposite side of the road and hit another car, so that his driver’s side door was right next to the driver’s side door on the other vehicle.
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Sammut was said to drive further down the road to change a tyre and then went back to exchange details with the driver, but police had been called.
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During a roadside breath test, he was found to be over the legal drink-drive limit.
The 21-year-old provided a reading of 54 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, despite the legal limit being 35.
In mitigation, Mr Glendenning, defending, explained that Summut had worked in the Army for three years and held an “unblemished service record”, but on the night in question, he had been drinking with friends and made a “stupid mistake” to give them a lift to town.
He believed he was fit to drive, but that decision proved a “misjudgement” when he collided with another vehicle on his way back from dropping his friends off.
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Mr Glendenning highlighted that a driving ban would impact Sammut’s career and he would be forced to find a different role in the Army, which could include moving to a different regiment altogether.
Sammut was disqualified from driving for 15 months and offered a drink driving course which will reduce the length of the ban by 15 weeks.
He must also pay a £415 fine, £166 surcharge and £85 prosecution costs, totalling £666.
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