"Mortified" drink-driver said he had no other way to collect dogs

Tuesday 12 March 2024

A dog owner who drove his animals home in a Jaguar with a flat tyre – while twice over the legal alcohol limit – has been fined and handed a driving ban.

Merlyn Roger Evans (54) was more than twice the legal limit alcohol limit when he retrieved his dogs from another person's house and drove them home on the evening of 7 January this year.

Advocate Lauren Taylor, prosecuting, told the Magistrate's Court that police received reports that Evans was driving his grey Jaguar along Havre des Pas with a flat near-side front tyre.

Just before 7pm, they arrived at his home and carried out a breath test which gave a reading of 78 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal maximum is 35 micrograms.

Pictured: The case was heard in the Magistrate's Court this week.

Advocate Lucy Marks, defending, said Evans had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had no previous relevant convictions.

She explained that he had driven to someone's house to collect his dogs after being asked him to take them back.

“He was concerned for them and didn’t manage to come up with an alternative way of collecting them,” the advocate said.

“He is truly mortified that he is here in court and he is ashamed of himself.”

Relief Magistrate Peter Harris decided to impose a 70-hour community service order and an 18-month driving ban for driving while over the alcohol limit and ordered him to retake the driving test after the ban has elapsed.

He imposed a fine of £400 for driving with a defective tyre.

And he told Evans: “I very much hope we don’t see you back here again.”