DESPERATE dad Noel Quinlan was caught drink driving while on his way to see his young son. Quinlan, 37, had travelled from County Tipperary in Eire to see his five-year-old son who lives in Devizes with his mother, Quinlan's ex-wife.
He told Devizes Magistrates Court that he had intended to visit his son by bus the following day.
But when a friend offered him the use of his car he accepted the offer even though it was a day earlier than originally planned and he had been drinking on the journey from Ireland.
Police officers were called after the the Ford Sierra that Quinlan was driving left the A4 at Clatford near Marlborough and lodged in a hedge.
He was taken to Amesbury Police Station where a breath test showed he was just over twice the legal drink drive limit with 78 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath; the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.
Quinlan, a roofer, admitted drink driving and driving without insurance. He was banned from driving for 22 months but the ban only applies in the UK so Quinlan is free to drive in the Republic of Ireland. Quinlan was also fined a total of £350 and ordered to pay costs of £35.
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