"Good Samaritan" motorist was over the limit

A drink- driver more than twice the limit was caught because he had been a Good Samaritan and stopped to help a motorcyclist who had fallen off his bike, a court heard.
Burnley Magistrates' CourtBurnley Magistrates' Court
Burnley Magistrates' Court

Shaun David Anness smelled heavily of alcohol and his speech was affected when police attended the accident on Red Lees Road, Burnley.

The town's magistrates were told how Anness blew 81 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The 30-year-old part-time welder has now been banned for 18 months, after admitting driving with excess alcohol on June 18. The defendant, of Barkerhouse Road, Nelson, was also fined £200 and must pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Mr David Norman (defending) told the hearing he saw the motorcyclist skid and fall off his bike and stopped to provide assistance.

The defendant gave his details, left, returned and was then breath-tested. He had had a couple of bottles of Budweiser earlier that day, but had been drinking the night before and it was still in his system.

Mr Norman said Anness had been going through a difficult patch.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He added: "He received that day a medical report about his child. On that, it said the child's mother and father had attended a recent appointment. It wasn't him. It was her current partner and the fact he had declared himself the father of the child upset him."