Drink-driver seen ‘veering’ along road is hit with hefty fine and disqualification

A drink-driver who was seen veering to one side of the A47 has been disqualified and hit with a £500 fine.Matthew Edmunds, 42, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he admitted drink-driving on the A47 at Lynn.The prosecution told the court that on February 16, police on patrol saw Edmunds driving on the road and repeatedly “veering to one side”.

They followed his Volkswagen Touran for two miles before pulling it over for having an expired MOT.Edmunds was the only person in the car, and police said that his speech was slurred.Edmunds, of Chapelfields Road in Guyhirn, told officers that he had a pint of cider before driving. A roadside breath confirmed that Edmunds was over the limit, and he was arrested and taken to Lynn Police Investigation Centre for further tests – which revealed he had 51mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit to drive is 35mcg.In mitigation, George Sorrell described Edmunds as a “good man” and a “skilled worker” who is risk at of losing his job as an engineer. Mr Sorrell said: “There was no road accident. I don’t believe you would find any evidence of bad driving. The police followed him for two miles and only stopped him because he didn’t have an MOT.“He will face consequences for this; his job is in jeopardy, and the company he works for is 20 miles away.”In relation to the day Edmunds was caught drink-driving, Mr Sorrell added: “He doesn’t normally drink, but he had a glass of cider. He was on his way to see his mother, who wasn’t very well. “He is disappointed in himself for falling into this trap.”Edmunds was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £512.He will also pay a victim surcharge of £205 and court costs of £85.