David Farinde was stopped on the A2 near Ebbsfleet and found to be over twice the legal drink-drive limit.
Police stopped David for swerving across lanes, and his speed also kept changing. He failed a roadside breath test afterwards, showing he was over twice the drink-drive limit.
Farinde, age 37, was in court February 20 at Medway Magistrates’ Court. He admitted to the drink-driving charge and lives in South Ockendon, Essex.
His breath alcohol reading was 76, while the legal limit is only 35. James Nichols explained the incident in court, stating it was a Friday evening, around 10 PM. Mr. Nichols said police saw David’s bad driving and found an empty gin bottle in his car.
This was his second offense in ten years, and he must get banned from driving for at least three years. His lawyer, Nadeem Afzal, spoke in court, explaining that David had upsetting news that day.
He said that David’s younger sister was diagnosed with cancer, and this news greatly affected him. He drove fifteen minutes from a friend’s house and admits driving drunk was wrong.
He had two drinks and had not eaten anything, which is not normal for him. The court fined Farinde £607 and banned him from driving for almost three and a half years.
He must pay a victim surcharge of £243 and also needs to pay £85 in court costs. He had a prior conviction from 2021, and a driving course could shorten his ban by almost ten months.