Drink-driver who crashed his van was caught again
A drink-driver who suffered serious injuries when he crashed his van in August last year, was back behind the wheel again while under the influence just five months later.
Kevin Lindley admitted drink-driving in a Volkswagen Caddy Van on the A483 between Llandrindod Wells and Crossgates on August 22 last year, when he appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old of Millgate, Wigan was caught drink-driving again on January 17, 2020 and was sentenced at Wigan Magistrates Court on February 5 to a fine, and a 19-month driving disqualification but he was offered the chance to attend a drin- drive rehabilitation course.
Mr Stephen Davies, prosecuting, said that on August 8 last year at about 12.30am, Pc Roberts attended a single-vehicle traffic incident near Crossgates.
There he saw two men sitting by the road and a van was upside down on the side of the road. Pc Roberts spoke to Lindley, he could smell intoxicants and a roadside breath test was positive.
Lindley said: “Someone could have died, it’s my own fault. I only had a couple of drinks. It’s my own fault, I should not have got in the van.”
He was taken to Hereford Hospital where blood samples were taken and they showed 87 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 80 milligrammes.
Mitigating, Mr Owain Jones said Lindley stayed in Hereford Hospital for eight days and suffered a broken knee, a broken back and a cut to his head which required 36 staples.
“He does not recall the accident, he remembers drinking alcohol earlier in the afternoon with a meal but he does not remember much after that,” Mr Jones said.
Mr Jones said since the accident Lindley has been off work and has been suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety and depression.
