Lancashire County Council employee from Burnley drove 40 miles over drink drive limit, court told

A Lancashire County Council employee from Burnley, who drove 40 miles over the limit, was told he could have killed somebody.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Nov 2018, 08:46 BST
Updated 7th Nov 2018, 10:19 BST
A Lancashire County Council employee found himself before magistrates in Burnley after he drove 40 miles over the drink drive limitA Lancashire County Council employee found himself before magistrates in Burnley after he drove 40 miles over the drink drive limit
A Lancashire County Council employee found himself before magistrates in Burnley after he drove 40 miles over the drink drive limit

Jack Holdsworth was followed by police after he left Blackpool and was travelling on the M65 to Burnley.

The 28-year-old couldn't give a police station breath test as the right side of his jaw is paralysed after an accident, but when he gave a sample of blood it showed 109 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres. The legal limit is 80.

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Mrs Tracy Yates, prosecuting, said Holdsworth was followed from junction six to 10 and then stopped on Pendle Way, Burnley. He had no previous convictions.

Miss Alia Khokhar, defending, told the hearing Holdsworth, who works for the highways department, had been to Blackpool with friends, but staff at the hotel they stayed at had been smoking in the premises and refused to stop.

It was 9pm and he and two friends tried to find another hotel, but couldn't.

The solicitor added:" Foolishly, Mr Holdsworth decided to drive back to Burnley. The police followed him. There was nothing erratic in his driving.

"She was quite happy to follow behind him.

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"It's been a lesson to him. Its a one-off act of foolishness on his part."

The defendant, of Applecross Drive, admitted driving with excess alcohol on Saturday, August 11th. He was fined £438, with £85 costs and a £43 victim surcharge and was banned for a year.

The Bench chairman told Holdsworth he had covered 40 miles and could have killed somebody. He added :" We really hope this is going to be a learning curve for you."