£1.8k fine for man who drove after visiting pub

Thursday 18 May 2023

A 27-year-old who admitted driving while almost twice the legal alcohol limit after visiting the pub has been banned from the roads for 15 months and fined £1,800.

The Magistrate's Court heard that Jordan Jay Lodwidge had been drinking in the Bagot Inn in Georgetown Road on the evening of 1 April.

St. Saviour Centenier Steven Laffoley–Edwards, prosecuting, said police had later seen Lodwidge outside a house in Clos du Foyer in St. Clement.

"He was emotional, he was shouting swear words, he was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred," he said.

Pictured: Lodwidge had been at the Bagot Inn that evening.

Lodwidge was holding the keys of a silver Ford Mondeo. The car’s wheels felt warm but the weather was wet – indicating that the vehicle had recently been in use.

A blood test showed that he had 143 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal maximum is 80 milligrams.

The Centenier added that Lodwidge had "remained co-operative throughout the process" and though he did have previous convictions they were not of a similar nature.

Advocate James Bell, defending, made the same points, and added that Lodwidge had written a letter of apology. "The letter shows that he does regret his error of judgement," he said.

The advocate also pointed out that Lodwidge was at risk of losing his job as a driver if banned from driving, and asked Magistrate Bridget Shaw to "make some allowance" for him, saying: "Any disqualification would be a punishment very keenly felt."

Magistrate Shaw said she was giving Lodwidge credit for his guilty plea but that a driving ban was inevitable.

She has allowed him to pay the fine at the rate of £50 per week. He will also have to retake his driving test before driving again.