Man banned from driving after he blew nearly four times the legal drink drive limit

A man has been banned from driving for two years and six months after he blew nearly four times the legal drink drive limit when breathalysed following an incident on the side of the M50 last year.

Oliver Wassell, 37 and of Barn Ground, Highnam in Gloucester, appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court last Friday (24 February) for sentencing after previously pleading guilty.

Police had been called to junction one of the M50 on the morning of Tuesday 8 November last year after a concerned member of the public had seen a vehicle within a ditch on the grass verge.

Roads Policing officers attended and found Wassell slumped at the wheel so conducted a breath test due to suspicions that he was intoxicated. He blew a reading of 134 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath making him nearly four times the legal limit.

Wassell was arrested and taken into police custody before being charged with driving a motor vehicle when over the legal alcohol limit.

As well as the driving ban, Wassell was sentenced to eight weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, required to complete alcohol dependency treatment and ordered to pay £239 in victim surcharge and court costs.

Sergeant Mark Feltham from the Roads Policing Unit said: "I would like to thank the concerned member of the public who called us back in November as its helped to take a drink driver off the roads.

“When we arrived and breathalysed Wassell he was in no fit state to be driving and was unable to stand up on his own so it’s very fortunate that he didn’t cause an accident.

“I hope this case serves as a reminder to people to think about how they will get home after drinking as well as if they need to use their vehicle as alcohol can stay in your system for a lot longer than people realise.”